Last week, the Renew Europe Groups in the European Parliament and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) joined forces for the Renew Europe Business Days to share concerns, expertise and solutions on what the EU can do better to support SMEs and businesses. 

During the event, Renew Europe CoR focused on subnational perspectives, showing how cities and regions lead the way in supporting local businesses. Companies in the EU possess many solutions to the challenges Europe is currently facing, and therefore it is of utmost importance to hear their concerns, expertise and suggestions when it comes to the European regulatory framework within which they are operating, to make European industry more competitive. 

In the Specialised Masterclass for SMEs workshop organized by Renew Europe CoR, several case studies were presented, all from different regions across the EU. 

In Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, an app has been developed to provide free financial education for business owners. In Oulu, Finland, there are opportunities for assistance to scale businesses, meet partners and conduct sales negotiations. Renew Europe CoR President François Decoster, Mayor of Saint-Omer, France personally visits every new business to spread the word and attract customers. In Uccle, Belgium, the municipality offers support for start-ups, including an opening bonus. 

During the Masterclass, Preside nt Decoster was joined by Sanna Savolainen, Senior Adviser on International Affairs for Business Oulu on Opening international markets, Valentine Delwart, Deputy Mayor of Uccle, in charge of Economy & Commerce for Financial support to occupy empty premises, and Owen Laverty, Head of Enterprise at Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for Developing a financial skills app.   

The Renew Europe Business Days took place on 7-8 June and saw interventions from, among others, Executive Vice President of the European Commission Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, as well as MEPs Iskra Mihaylova, Catharina Rinzema, Martin Hojsik, Eva-Maria Poptcheva and Abir Al-Sahlani. 

Photo credit: Renew Europe CoR