Faculty of Economic Sciences

Course: Small and Medium Enterprises in European Union II

ECTS:

5

Level:

all

Semester:

winter / summer

Lectures: 30 hours

Lecturer(s): Joanna Rakowska, Ph.D.

Description:

SMEs represent 99 per cent of all enterprises in the EU and provide about 65 million jobs. That is why they are socially and economically very important. On one hand they face particular difficulties because of their size, but on the other hand there are numerous instruments supporting SMEs on the national and EU level.

To acquaint students both with the above mentioned and more detailed SME related topics, the course  is on:

1.       EU Integration Process in brief.

2.       EU Enterprise and Industry Policy: institutions and programmes, priorities and new strategies.

3.       SMEs Definition.

4.       Facts and Figures on EU SMEs.

5.       Role of SMEs in EU and Member Countries Economies.

6.       SMEs on the Single European Market: free movement of goods, services, capital and people

7.       SMEs and Competition Policy, Consumer Protection Policy, Environmental Protection Policy and Innovation Policy.

8.       EU SMEs Policy: ‘European Charter for Small Enterprises’, ‘Small Business Act’ for Europe.

9.       EU Funding for SMEs.

10.   Administrative Burdens Reduction Programme. 

11.   Clusters and SMEs networks in EU.

12.   Promoting Entrepreneurship and SMEs in EU.

13.   SMEs Support Services.

14.   European Union SMEs beyond EU Single Market.

Assignment: 1. a brief elaboration on SME policy  in selected EU country/ countries;

                     2. final test.

Students may choose either 1 or 2, after a consultation with the lecturer.

Literature:

EU programmes, strategies, documents and reports available on-line or provided by the lecturer in electronic version.