The most important quotations of the Inauguration of the IV European Congress of Small and Medium – Size Enterprises
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17.11.2014
Poland shows a satisfactory level of resistance and is ahead of many EU countries when taking into consideration the level of GDP growth in Poland, and also the level of competitiveness. Economic prospects for Poland are much brighter than for other countries. SME constitute 99% of all subjects in Europe. They generate 50% of the European GDP. There will be no good future for the European economy without significant contribution of the SME sector. This is the main pillar of industrial politics that we are implementing.
Ferdinando Nelli Feroci
EU Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship
Poland shows a satisfactory level of resistance and is ahead of many EU countries when taking into consideration the level of GDP growth in Poland, and also the level of competitiveness. Economic prospects for Poland are much brighter than for other countries. SME constitute 99% of all subjects in Europe. They generate 50% of the European GDP. There will be no good future for the European economy without significant contribution of the SME sector. This is the main pillar of industrial politics that we are implementing.
Ferdinando Nelli Feroci
EU Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship
Poland is the sixth economy in the EU and Poles are an enterprising nation. The level of entrepreneurship measured by the number of entrepreneurs planning to start a business exceeds the EU average. There are 1 800 000 companies in Poland, which is 3% more than in 2010. Poland is an EU member-country where new enterprises are established most often. Such activity is extremely important and necessary when taking into account keeping and strengthening of economic development in Poland. In times of global, open economy, immediate actions are not enough.
Grażyna Henclewska
Under-Secretary of State in the Ministry of Economy,
President of the Team for Corporate Social Responsibility,
Polish SME Envoy at the European Commission
In a national and European dimension, not only entrepreneurship is without borders, but also science and higher education and it does not only refer to the last 10 years.
Jacek Guliński, PhD
Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Science and Higher Education
I listened to the speakers who spoke before me with great joy and I noticed enormous challenges facing the EU. From our point of view, the European model is one of the most effective and leading models. I would like to congratulate on the fact that 10 years ago Poland became a member of the EU. In Poland, small and medium – size business has almost 60% of contribution. This guarantees stability of the country. In Ukraine, SME’s contribution is at the level of 13%.
Gennadiy Chyzhykov
President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
It is necessary to have an attitude that empowers entrepreneurs. Institutions that are supposed to support entrepreneurs have to seriously treat problems of companies, especially those of small and medium – size enterprises, searching for solutions to those problems. Pro – innovation politics has to be super sensitive to the needs of companies. Support programs have to be adapted to those companies and not to the European Commission, marshal’s offices or central administration offices.
Marzena Chmielewska
Director of the European Funds Department of Lewiatan Confederation
Five primary objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy concern the development of innovation, growth of employment, improvement of education, sustainable energy development, reduction of poverty zone and social exclusion, but there is no SME sector there. If this is the IV Congress, the SME sector should speak more bluntly than it has done so far.
Jan Klimek
Vice-President of the Polish Craft Association,
Director of the Enterprise Institute of the Warsaw School of Economics,
President of the Chamber of Crafts and Small and Medium Entrepreneurship in Katowice, Representative of the European Economic and Social Committee
We have things to be proud of on the international arena, we have fantastically educated workers. We need to have a closer look at the regulations in Poland and in the EU. Cohesion and clarity of regulations constitute the basis for well functioning companies.
Anna Polak-Kocińska
Vice-President of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency
The fourth edition of the European Congress of Small and Medium – Size Enterprises proves that this event organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice constitutes an element that fills the existing niche. Small and medium – size entrepreneurs ought to be noticed and appreciated – the Congress is the place where we give them voice and eyes of the entire Europe are turned exactly on them.
Tadeusz Donocik
President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice
Economic power of Europe is built on small and medium – size entrepreneurship. Presently, nearly 70% employees find jobs thanks to – apparently only small – business. 2,3 billion Euros of the EU budget for 2014-2020 are destined to support such companies. It is crucial, because although small and medium – size enterprises have managed the crisis pretty well, they now have to face the time of economic stagnation.
Jerzy Buzek
Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001,
President of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2012,
Chairman of the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
