Survey: French SMEs want more information on EU[fr] 

According to the entrepreneurs interviewed, the main obstacle to the development of their businesses abroad is a lack of knowledge about legislation in other EU countries.

Language problems and difficulties in obtaining reliable information come a close second, according to the survey . The poll sampled 302 SMEs between 10 and 250 employees in the wider Paris region ('Centre' and Ile-de-France).

The survey was conducted in April 2009 in cooperation with Crocis , the regional centre for trade, industry and services observation.

55% of respondents said they know that SMEs have access to European funding. Yet 83% of them have never received such funds. This often happens because the activities concerned cannot always be funded under EU rules. But lack of support and insufficient human and financial resources were also important in discouraging potential bidders, the survey revealed.

Widespread support for EU among SMEs

However, the EU could be a popular means of supporting SMEs, the study found: 85% of respondents think that the EU is "acting in line with the needs of SMEs on the movement of goods and services".

Moreover, many SMEs suggest that the EU should develop specific programmes for start-ups (39%), research, development and innovation (30%), and marketing products (29%).

In fact, such funding is often already part of European support programmes, respondents were told. But only 6% of small companies with international activities said they had responded to public tenders abroad.

Besides a lack of information about the tools at their disposal, the survey revealed widespread ignorance of the functioning of the EU among small businesses. "62% of entrepreneurs do not know which European institutions will be renewed in 2009," the study reveals.

A lack of conviction

According to the survey, entrepreneurs in the Paris region ('Centre' and Ile-de-France) are more "receptive" to the Union's policies than wider French public opinion.

However, figures show that they are still far from convinced by the role played by the EU. 41% believe that it remains difficult to do business outside national borders and 43% believe that France's belonging to the European Union has no impact on their business.

Speaking at the study's launch, French Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier and a candidate of the ruling UMP party list in Ile-de-France at the next European elections, said the poor figure illustrated a "general problem" towards Europe among the French population. 

Catherine Lalumière, a former vice-president of the European Parliament and current president of the French Federation of European Houses, said that the EU "does not know how to communicate". She proposed "a comprehensive review of the content of the European message," which would be disseminated by "political leaders, senior officials and intermediaries such as the CCIP".