The EU legislation often has a significant impact on SMEs. With the new European Commission taking office end of last year, the new priority is to boost competitiveness by transforming the Draghi report into a roadmap. It sets a path for Europe to become the place where future technologies, services, and clean products are invented, manufactured, and put on the market, while being the first continent to become climate neutral. SMEs are the backbone of European productivity, and they need to be given a bigger place in the EU ecosystem, so the influence of SMEs is only going to increase.

With this event, Beci aims to encourage greater engagement from Belgian and Brussels-based SMEs with the EU policy agenda while highlighting the numerous opportunities available to them at the European level.

Mette Lykke Nielsen, from the public affairs agency Lykke Advice, will present the priorities of the new Commission and why SMEs should get involved in the EU programme. Then, a Belgian Member of the European Parliament and a representative of the European Commission's DG GROW - responsible for SME policies -  will share their insights and experience to address the gap in SME involvement at EU level and inspire local businesses to leverage EU resources more effectively. The speakers will share their perspective on the impact of EU policies on SMEs and contribute to a constructive dialogue with the local business community.

Agenda

• 10:30 - 10:40 am — Welcome and Opening Remarks (Beci)
• 10:40 - 11:10 am — Presentation: ‘Priorities, the new Commission and why SMEs should get involved in the EU programme’. – Mette Lykke Nielsen, Lykke Advice

• 11:10 am -12:00 pm — EU Priorities: Debate and Q&A with an MEP and a representative of DG GROW
• • Invited Speakers:
  • • Bruno Tobback, Member of the European Parliament, S&D, member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
    • Marie-Hélène Pradines, Commission Representative from DG GROW, Head of Unit, Unit A2 – SMEs 
      
• 12:00 pm - 13:00 pm — Networking Lunch

The conference will be held in English