Pimec calls for harmonised European regulations to facilitate SME access to the single market

The organisation urges that the new business category “small mid-caps” not come at the expense of SMEs. It also advocates for improved access to public procurement for smaller companies. Barcelona, ​​21 May 2025. Ahead of the Competitiveness Council meeting to be held tomorrow to discuss the European Commission’s Single Market Strategy, Pimec has called for the harmonisation of regulations to facilitate access to SMEs. This appeal was made as part of the public consultation process preceding the strategy’s release and during which Pimec has emphasised the need for European Commission to provide member states with clear guidance to assist in transposing the directives. The organisation considers that, unfortunately, the measures to deal with the high fragmentation are insufficient. Given that the strategy acknowledges the complexity of European regulations and the significant administrative and regulatory burdens they impose, Pimec has welcomed administrative simplification initiatives such as the Omnibus laws I and II, published last February. Regarding the new definition of “small mid-caps” companies, proposed by the European Commission, Pimec emphasises that this should not come at the expense of smaller enterprises. In this regard, Pimec has called for legislation to be guided by the principle of “thinking small first”. That is, designed with the smallest, the SMEs, in mind, to ensure they continue to benefit from aid and support measures specific to their size. As for the SME passport proposed in the strategy, Pimec views it as a positive initiative that could help businesses digitally demonstrate their SME status. However, it stresses the need to go further by establishing a broader digital platform through which SMEs can meet their reporting obligations, ensuring that documents are submitted only once, in line with the “once-only” principle. In the commercial sphere, Pimec welcomed the strategy’s focus on increasing trade among SMEs located in cross-border areas, an issue that Pimec has long advocated for. Additionally, the organisation announced it has submitted its proposals on public procurement to the European institutions with the aim of improving SME access, an issue that Pimec believes should be central to the upcoming revision of the Directive. According to Pimec, this revision will be a good opportunity to simplify and digitalise procedures, eliminating discrepancies between national legal frameworks. Finally, and given the need to ensure business competitiveness, Pimec has called on the upcoming Danish presidency, set to take over from Poland in July, to ensure an agreement is reached in the ongoing negotiations on the Late Payment Regulations.