(Rule 52)

A3-0281/94

Resolution on the situation of women in small and medium-sized businesses

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mrs Braun-Moser on the situation of women in small and medium-sized businesses (B3-0641/92),

-having regard to Council Directive 86/613/EEC of 11 December 1986 on equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity, including agriculture, in a self-employed capacity, and on the protection of self-employed women during pregnancy and motherhood,

-having regard to the Council resolution of 17 June 1992 on Community action to support enterprises, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises including craft industry enterprises,

-having regard to the Council resolution of 3 December 1992 on administrative simplification for enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises,

-having regard to Council decision 93/379/EEC of 14 June 1993 on a multi-annual programme of Community measures to intensify the priority areas and to ensure the continuity and consolidation of policy for enterprise, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises in the Community, and to its opinion on the proposal for a Council Decision on a multiannual programme (1993 to 1996) of Community measures to intensify the priority areas of policy for enterprise, in particular SMEs, in the Community of 20 April 1993,

-having regard to the Council resolution of 22 November 1993 on strengthening the competitiveness of enterprises, in particular of small and medium-sized enterprises and craft enterprises, and developing employment in the Community,

-having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having delegated its power of decision to the Committee on Women's Rights pursuant to Rule 52 of the Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Women's Rights (A3-0281/94),

A.whereas small and medium-sized businesses are an important source of employment and of technological innovation in the economy,

B.whereas recent studies estimate that businesses employing less than ten people make up over 90% of all businesses in the Union and employ 27% of the workforce,

C.whereas many small and medium-sized businesses are family businesses,

D.whereas there has been a significant increase in the development of business creation and ownership by women in all Member States,

E.whereas businesses run by women tend to be small, often in rural areas and clustered in traditional sectors and branches of female employment,

F.whereas, as a result, they may be placed at a disadvantage in terms of access to markets, resources, suppliers and training programmes,

G.whereas financing difficulties constitute a major obstacle for women seeking to set up businesses, often due to discriminatory and/or hostile attitudes by credit institutions,

H.whereas many small businesses are subjected to serious and adverse financial pressures due to late payment of bills particularly at the hands of larger enterprises who delay payment as a matter of policy in order to earn interest on the money markets,

I.recognizing the excellent work being carried out under programmes such as New Opportunities for Women (NOW), Local Employment Initiatives (LEI) and the Network on Vocational Training (IRIS), but conscious of the fact that many women are unaware of their existence,

J.recognizing that some regulations need to be simplified to avoid placing unacceptable burdens on small and medium-sized businesses, and that in this context the current proposal for a Council directive on distance selling should be revised so that it can take account of the difficulties facing owners of small hotels and other holiday accommodation, many of whom are women, without diluting existing consumers' rights,

1.Welcomes the work being carried out by the Commission on improving the situation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the on-going discussions on this topic in Council;

2.Considers, however, that particular attention should be paid to the specific problems faced by women in SMEs;

3.Stresses the shortage or lack of information on financial aid available for SMEs in general and the added difficulties facing women in isolated rural areas;

4.Notes that the main problems encountered by women wishing to set up an SME relate to financial aid and the problem of discrimination by credit institutions, the plethora of bureaucratic regulations and the lack of legislation concerning the late payment of commercial debt and social security for women on their own;

5.Calls on the Member States and the Commission to introduce the necessary measures to enable SMEs to charge interest on any bills remaining unpaid after 30 days and, in the event of bankruptcy caused by such non-payment, to have the right to seek damages with costs to be borne by the non-payer;

6.Calls on the Commission:

(a)to intensify its efforts to distribute timely and well targeted information to women on support available, whether in the form of direct financial aid or training;

(b)to draw up action programmes to encourage women to become fully involved in competitive sectors;

(c)to address the problem of financial assistance for women not only through existing programmes but also by encouraging support for investment in SMEs by the European Investment Fund and the EIB and by encouraging the latter to facilitate applications from women;

(d)to concentrate its SME policy on target groups so as to ensure that the category of small businesses in which many women work is not neglected;

(e)to organize, as requested by Council, a new methodology for assessing the cost and benefits of Community proposals on the basis of a regularly updated impact statement, in particular from the angle of administrative simplification;

(f)to develop through the consolidation and coordination of regional, national and European support networks, common projects, exchanges of information and links between women in employment initiatives at national or regional level;

(g)to ensure that its vocational training programmes provide specific support to women setting up their own businesses.

7.Stresses the importance of the role of the spouse in many SMEs and calls for the revision of Directive 86/613/EEC on equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity, including agriculture, in a self-employed capacity, and on the protection of self-employed women during pregnancy and motherhood as provided for in the Directive;

8.Calls for the reduction of the administrative burdens on SMEs and hopes that the current draft of the directive on distance selling will be changed to take account of the difficulties facing proprietors of small hotels and other holiday accommodation, while fully respecting the principles of consumer protection;

9.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.