CUPRINS - Universitatea George Bacovia

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN EUROPE. WHAT ABOUTSMALL BUSINESSES AND THE LISBON STRATEGY?DO EXPECTATIONS REALLY FIT THE SMEPERCEPTION AND REALITY?Lutgart SPAEPEN * 1Europeans are in the process of constructing a “new Europe” on thefoundations of improved competitiveness and a dynamic, knowledge-based economy,so it was concluded by the European Council in its Lisbon meeting in March 2000.In their conclusions the heads of states and governments highlighted alsothe important role of small and medium enterprises in this evolving Europeaneconomy stating that “smaller companies are its backbone”. Also by means of theEuropean Charter for Small Business, adopted in June 2000, SMES have beenbrought under the political spotlight. But what is the real truth about smallbusinesses and the Lisbon Strategy? Do expectations effectively fit the SMEperception and reality?Small and medium enterprises indeed make up the majority of businessesin Europe.The majority of small enterprises in the EU - almost 90% - are categorizedas micro companies with less than 10 employees. Small businesses make up 53%of Europe’s workforce, which includes 95 million people who are employed in thesmall business sector. Europe has 20 million SMEs and they are more important toEurope than they are to its major competitor nations, the USA and Japan.“Small businesses are the main driver for innovation and employment as2well as social and local integration in Europe.”Although several analysts may note the strong necessity of SMEs to theEuropean economy, these small businesses have had to struggle against manychallenges in the past and go on struggling today, while perceiving only small* Lutgart Spaepen is Business development manager at EHSAL European University CollegeBrussels, and Team Europe member for Belgium.1 The author is grateful to her colleague, dr. Johan Lambrecht, director of the Research Centrefor Entrepreneurship EHSAL-KU Brussels, for sharing his ideas on entrepreneurship andpolicy making in Europe and providing her with precious research material.2 Statement on web page of DG Enterprise and Trade, European Commission, Brussels125