Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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Question 73: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the status of the proposed EU Small Business Act for Europe; his view on this EU policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23759/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The "Small Business Act for Europe" (SBA) was announced in the European Commission Discussion Paper for EU Heads of State and Government at the Lisbon informal summit on 18-19 October 2007 and in the Commission's Mid-term Review on Modern SME Policy adopted on 4 October 2007. It is one of the priorities in the Commission's Legislative Work Programme 2008.

Following a public consultation process, the Commission has yet to determine the scope and content of any SBA. It is expected that the Commission will publish proposals under the SBA in early July, probably on 2 July. Despite the SBA being styled as an Act, it will follow the traditional structure of EU legislation and actions, consisting of general principles to support the development and growth of SMEs and specific legislative proposals such as directives or regulations addressing issues of relevance to SMEs.

Ireland's position is that we would be generally supportive of efforts assisting the growth and development of SMEs as intended under the SBA, subject to seeing the detailed proposal from the Commission. We would wish to see Member States retaining flexibility in dealing with SMEs in the context of their own economic conditions and specific needs with full regard to national sovereignty, the relevant Treaty provisions and principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. Following publication, the SBA will be negotiated in the relevant EU groups through the normal mechanisms.

The SBA will be a priority for the incoming French Presidency. France intends to hold a first general discussion on the specific proposal by Ministers at the Informal Competitiveness Council in Versailles on 17/18 July 2008. The French Presidency aims to have Council Conclusions on the SBA adopted at the Competitiveness Council on 1/2 December 2008.