Iuliu Winkler, MEP (EPP/RMDSZ) salutes the launch of the Access2Markets online tool, which comes to the aid of European SMEs and businesses which want to engage in international trade.
“SME Europe of the EPP, the EPP’s SME advocacy organisation, has long been asking for an instrument that streamlines complex regulatory frameworks for SMEs wanting to engage in international trade. Especially in the case of European SMEs, DG Trade reports highlight that in the case of Preference Utilisation Rate (PUR) of FTAs there is much room for improvement. This is even more pertinent for Central and Eastern Europe”, declared Iuliu Winkler.
The MEP stressed that EU Free Trade Agreements and deals enabling preferential treatment cannot be efficiently used unless companies clearly understand and comply with various bureaucratic requirements. “Particularly when it comes to complicated Rules of Origin, given our intricate global supply chains, our economic actors need an as clear explanation as possible. Tapping into the benefits of EU Trade Policy is essential for our companies, entrepreneurs, and citizens to feel the real impact of the Common Commercial Policy.
Our plea in SME Europe has been listened to, and on 13 October, we saw the launch of a one-stop-shop application that comes to aid efforts of compliance with EU trade regulation. This online tool (here), if properly used, can indeed make a big difference in European exports and economic growth. We already know that 1 in 7 jobs in the EU are linked to exports, and that the new jobs that are being created are high-value and high-return jobs.
We therefore salute the new online portal, Access2Markets, and I hereby invite all companies, entrepreneurs and SMEs that wish to engage in international exports to consult and discover the benefits of this instrument.
As First Vice-President of SME Europe, I also salute the multilingual nature of Access2Markets. We have identified, already for some time, that linguistic barriers are truly a significant obstacle for the proper comprehension of complex regulations. This tool, being available in all 24 official languages of the EU, effectively deals with this obstacle” added Winkler..
SME Europe looks forward to seeing the positive impact of this important online instrument, long sought-after by European SMEs.
Access2Markets (https://trade.ec.europa.eu/access-to-markets/en/content/) was launched by the European Commission’s DG Trade on 13 October 2020
