"Small- and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of European economy": starting from this belief, today and yesterday the Austrian Minister of Economics and Labour, Martin Bartenstein, gathered in Vienna 350 experts, including politicians, entrepreneurs, trade unionists, scholars, from 47 different countries, to discuss the situation of this substantial part of the EU productive system. The initiative, promoted by the current chairmanship of the Council, in cooperation with the Commission, aims at addressing some "major issues": "A better use of the domestic market; possible measures in support of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); aids to SMEs in the Mediterranean region; success stories in the area of e-Business; one-man companies". The invitation was also sent by the promoters to the Mediterranean countries; in addition, the conference will be "about the implementation of the European Charter for Small-sized Enterprises". Just this week, the Executive Commission of Brussels launched a number of initiatives in support of SMEs, and in this respect the deputy president Günter Verheugen, in charge of industry, stated: "At a time of big economic challenges, the Commission is putting the needs of the small-sized enterprises at the very core of its actions. The European Charter for Small-sized Enterprises helped us release even more the entrepreneurial potentials of the EU".
