A Week devoted to small and medium enterprises “This Commission together with the Member States has worked hard to improve the conditions for small companies. If there is a way out of the economic downturn, it is the SMEs’ creativity, flexibility and capacity to find solutions”. “We need more SMEs, as they are the true drivers of growth and job creation”. Günter Verheugen, European Commission Vice-President, opened the SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) week May 6 (until May 14). More than one thousand events will take place in 35 Countries. The purpose of the initiative is twofold: “promoting entrepreneurship and raising awareness about business support” at Community level. The Week was conceived “to allow entrepreneurs to discover the information, advice, support and ideas available at European, national, regional and local levels to help them develop their activities”. The SME Week is one of the measures implementing the Small Business Act (SBA). Many events will be held during the Week inaugurated in Brussels with the exhibition “How it feels to be an entrepreneur”. The week will conclude with a conference due to be held in Prague May 13-14 on the theme: “The Small Business Act for Europe. Business without barriers”.A new era for EU’s youth policies”The youth: investing and empowering”, is the name given to the new ten-year strategy adopted by the Barroso Commission in the framework of European policies for the youth. The document acknowledges the youth “as vulnerable workers, especially in the current economic and financial crisis. In the framework of population ageing, the youth represent an important resource”. Jan Figel’, Commissioner responsible for Education, Training and Culture, presented the cross-sector strategy marked by “short-term responses in a long-term effort to empower young people within their main fields of action, namely education, employment, creativity and entrepreneurship, social inclusion, health and sport, civic participation and volunteer work. The Executive announced several objectives: “extending youth potentials in the field of education and employment”; “improving social inclusion”; “fostering solidarity among the youth”. Lisbon Treaty: approval by the Czech Senate “It is very good news”. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, on May 6 welcomed the Czech Senate’s approval of the Lisbon Treaty, completing the parliamentary process of ratification in the Czech Republic. “I am very happy of the approval”, which “reflects the commitment of the Czech Republic for more democracy in Europe”. Barroso recalled that a number of constitutional knots in the Czech Republic and “in other Countries”, including Poland, still need to be overcome. Ireland is expected to vote by the end of 2009, after the majority no-vote in June 2008’s referendum. The news regarding the vote of the Czech Senate (79 ayes, 54 noes) was conveyed live in Strasbourg while the plenary meeting of the European Parliament was under way. All political forces welcomed the outcome of the vote, except for the Euro-skeptics. President Hans-Gert Poettering asked Czech President Vaclav Klaus, to countersign the Treaty as soon as possible. “eYouGuide” for consumers on the web Following a proposal by the EU Parliament, the Commission inaugurated the portal “eYouGuide”, an online tool “providing consumers with practical advice on their digital rights as provided for by EU legislation”. The portal addresses “relevant problems such as rights vis a vis broadband providers, on-line purchases, downloading music and confidentiality notes”. Commissioner Viviane Reding explained, “Although 48.5% of European families have broad band internet access, a large number of consumers refrain from online purchases due to persistent mistrust”. “eYouGuide” describes the concrete rights of consumers according to EU regulations such as “receiving detailed information on prices and conditions before buying”, protecting personal data, having the possibility of sending back the purchased good in 7 days’ time, “requesting that the ordered goods be delivered not later than 30 days after date of purchase” and demanding “a warrantee of at least two years on the purchased goods”.
