A meeting of the SBA Public-Private Working Group will take place in Yerevan on 11 July 2018, to launch the third cycle of the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA) Assessment, organised by the OECD in the framework of the EU-funded project ‘EU4Business: From Policies to Action’.
The Small Business Act for Europe is an overarching framework for EU policy on SMEs. It aims to improve the approach to entrepreneurship in Europe, simplify the regulatory and policy environment for SMEs, and remove the remaining barriers to their development.
In the context of the project, the OECD carries out an SBA Assessment in all the countries of the Eastern Partnership region, monitoring progress in the implementation of the ten principles of the Small Business Act for Europe, and measures convergence towards EU practices and standards.
SBA assessment
The third cycle of the SBA assessment for the Eastern Partner Countries starts in September 2018. The assessment will build on the established methodology and process of previous assessment rounds, but has been revised to incorporate new elements aiming at broadening the scope of the publication to allow for an evaluation of the overall business climate conditions and to more accurately reflect private sector perspectives.
The SBA Public-Private Working Group meeting on 11 July will provide an opportunity for the government to present an overview of the progress achieved on implementing the recommendations provided in the last SBA assessment cycle (2015-16). It will also allow private sector representatives and key stakeholders to comment on recent developments and reform effectiveness. The OECD will present the updated methodology and framework for discussion, in preparation for the start of the assessment.
Expert seminar on SME strategy design
An expert seminar on SME strategy design will also take place in the framework of the SBA Public-Private Working Group meeting. The aim of the seminar is to present international good practices on SME strategy design, such as the importance of setting realistic targets, displaying a logic of intervention with priority actions organised along a limited number of strategic directions, and developing action plans with clear responsibilities for implementation.