cial policy measures, especially as part of bilat-
eral free trade agreements.
●Coordination of European-wide cooperation in
key markets, to ensure the best possible uti-
lization of public funds.
●Promotion of the establishment of export joint
ventures by SMEs based in different member
states, through a series of measures, such as
information campaigns and financial incentives,
which encourage synergies.
●Support of the cross-border cooperation of SME
groups/networks through guarantee-based
lending.
●Enhancement and advancement of the
Enterprise Europe Network after 2013, by
securing its funding.
●Utilization of the EU’s existing external policies,
in order to accelerate the international expan-
sion of European SMEs. All institutional bodies
of the EU and all interested SMEs should work
together in order to implement this strategy.
●Enhancement and advancement of information
networks for European enterprises, in regard to
markets such as India, Japan, China etc.
●Continuation of the regulatory dialogue with the
partner states’ governments, with the aim of
making markets more open and friendly to
small enterprises.
●Creation of SME contact points in the commercial
and financial sectors of the EU’s Representations
in 130 countries, as part of the work of the
expert groups on market access.
●Raising SME awareness in regard to
autonomous tariff suspensions and quotas.
●Mapping of the existing “stocks” of SME support
services, in order to enable a more rational and
comprehensive approach in the future.
●Creation of a virtual portal, with information of
interest to SMEs that wish to operate beyond
the EU borders.
●Increased coherence of support plans on the EU
level, in order to ensure increased impact.
●Encouragement and financing of the develop-
ment of training programmes for entrepreneurs,
SME managers, as well as managers of
groups, business networks and export joint
ventures, in order to enable them lead interna-
tionalization activities.
●Promotion of economic relations with the coun-
tries of the East Mediterranean and North
Africa, with the aim of boosting trade, involving
European enterprises in projects financed by
national and international resources, as well as
possibly identifying fields for exporting know-how
related to entrepreneurial institution-building in
these countries.
●Formation of a forum on SME financing in Africa,
a major first step in developing bonds between
European and African enterprises, by means of
an enhanced and permanent dialogue.
Trade with Greece
2
ACCI President, Constantine Michalos, with the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz.
