VKEde toetamine piirkondlikes väärtusahelates - lähiteenuste majanduse edendamine

 is concerned over the weak economic performance and decreasing competitiveness of the European economy and in particular its SMEs, who face unprecedented uncertainties related to volatility in the current global economic context, including supply chain constraints, labour and skills shortages, and unfair competition practices, combined with high energy prices and rising regulatory burden in Europe that make doing business more challenging for SMEs;

 strongly supports the advocacy of the Draghi report for a strong single market, as well as for the EU to refocus its work, prioritising policies and actions where the EU has the greatest added value;

 calls on the Commission to step up its efforts to lower the regulatory burden for SMEs and fully acknowledge the ‘think small first’ principle as a genuine paradigm valid throughout the entire EU legislative cycle;

 supports the objectives of Enrico Letta’s new freedom to stay concept and suggests to underpin it with strong measures supporting the economic reason to stay, by accompanying urgently needed Single Market reforms with instruments boosting regional convergence and territorial cohesion;

 agrees that the development of proximity economy at local and regional level aligns with the key EU objectives in terms of fostering competitive, resilient and sustainable economic growth.

 is convinced that digitalisation can reinvigorate the potential of proximity economy and enhance its further growth, though many small SMEs and micro-enterprises operating in local ecosystems need further support and guidance to turn the digital challenge into opportunities.