European funding is too little, too late

Feature looks at the plight of small businesses in the context of the global credit crunch of 2008 - and the response of the European Union.

SMEs called on the European institutions and on EU Member States to restore confidence in the markets, to secure access to finance for small enterprises and to fully put into practice the measures contained in the Small Business Act.

Website: European Investment Bank http://www.eib.org/

European Commission: SPEECH/08/566: From financial crisis to recovery: A European framework for action http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/08/566&format=PDF&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

United Kingdom: Federation of Small Businesses http://www.fsb.org.uk/

Website: Forum of Private Business http://www.fpb.org/

FSB: Press Release, 30.10.08: Business lobby group piles more pressure on banks to restore 2007 lending levels to small firms http://www.fpb.org/news/2125/Business_lobby_group_piles_more_pressure_on_banks_to_restore_2007_lending_levels_to_small_firms.htm

Website: UEAPME http://www.ueapme.com/EN/index.shtml

UEAPME: Press Release, 30.10.08: SMEs can lead Europe out of the crisis, says re-elected UEAPME President http://www.ueapme.com/docs/press_releases/pr_2008/081030_toifl_priorities.pdf

UEAPME: Policy Areas: Enterprise Policy: Small Business Act for Europe http://www.ueapme.com/EN/policy_enterprise_sba.shtml

EurActiv, 30.10.08: EU seeks fresh money to fend off crisis http://www.euractiv.com/en/euro/eu-seeks-fresh-money-fend-crisis/article-176790

ESO: Background information: Credit crunch – the EU at work http://www.europeansources.info/record/credit-crunch-the-eu-at-work/

European Investment Bank: News, 3.10.08: EIB launches new loans for SMEs http://www.eib.org/about/news/eib-loan-for-smes.htm

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