Civil servants to get hands-on SME experience[fr][de] 

The "Enterprise Experience" programme presented by Vice-President Verheugen on 17 July intends to give 350 administrators in the Commission's DG Enterprise the chance to spend one week in a small and medium-sized company (SME). During that short period they should become more familiar with the needs and working circumstances of these businesses. The idea behind the programme is that the civil servants will be better regulators when they have understood the daily life of businesses.

The programme is run in close cooperation with three business organisations, UNICE, UEAPME and Eurochambres. These three organisations will draw up the list of potential host companies.

The SME trainees will also have the task of informing their host companies of the relevant EU policies. The Commission's information on this programme does not mention whether the civil servants will also be paid SME salaries during the trainee week.

The "Enterprise Experience" exercise is part of the Commission's drive to stimulate entrepreneurship in Europe and its ambition to work on "better regulation".