The first public-private Working Group meeting, launching the third cycle of the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA) assessment, took place in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on 31 May 2018.
The meeting was 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 the 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.
The SBA Public-Private Working Group meeting was opened by Alexander Palazov, Deputy Director of the Department for Entrepreneurship Development and Regulatory Policy of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Dorota Przyludzka, Policy Officer from the European Commission, and the OECD.
In addition to launching the new assessment cycle, the Working Group provided an opportunity for the government to present an overview of the progress achieved in implementing SME policies since the previous SBA assessment cycle (2015-16).
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade introduced recently implemented and ongoing reforms, including the adoption of an SME strategy and action plan, establishment of theSmall and Medium-Sized Development Office(SMEDO), simplification of business registration, and an extensive deregulation programme.
Business associations and independent research centres endorsed the reforms, while expressing the need for further government support in the improvement of the regulatory environment, increasing access to finance, and promoting human capital development. The need for stakeholder co-operation was also strongly emphasised.
The OECD team presented the assessment framework and timeline for the third SBA assessment cycle. This cycle aims to broaden the scope of the assessment to allow for an evaluation of the overall business environment conditions for enterprises – with a particular focus on business integrity, competition and contract enforcement.
In addition, private sector perspectives on policy barriers and policy effectiveness will be taken into account to a greater extent, by holding private sector focus groups in each country and encouraging active private sector contribution to working group meetings.
The OECD team presented the assessment framework and timeline for the third SBA assessment cycle. This cycle aims to broaden the scope of the assessment to allow for an evaluation of the overall business environment conditions for enterprises – with a particular focus on business integrity, competition and contract enforcement.
In addition, private sector perspectives on policy barriers and policy effectiveness will be taken into account to a greater extent, by holding private sector focus groups in each country and encouraging active private sector contribution to working group meetings.