Within the framework of the EBSOMED project, BUSINESSMED is organising an online meeting of its Employers' Thematic Committee "Internationalization of SMEs" on 5 October 2022.

This Committee aims at nurturing the actors’ reflection on active policies related to enhancing the SMEs competitiveness and increasing exchanges between the European Union and Mediterranean countries. This will serve in monitoring the different trends and helping the European Commission, Euro Med countries and employers’ organizations to provide SMEs with the needed tools and resources for internationalization.

BUSINESSMED, through this Thematic Committee is committed to support the internationalization of SMEs and helping them access to new market for Euro-Mediterranean’s competitiveness, economic growth, and innovation. This TC’s priority is to ensure that enterprises can rely on a business-friendly environment and make the most out of growth markets in and outside the Euro-Mediterranean.

Through the Competitiveness for Small and Medium Enterprises (COSME) Programme and SME support actions funded under the Horizon 2020 programme were instrumental in helping SMEs develop their presence in international markets, the EU has set this topic high in its agenda. Similarly, the Union for Mediterranean, with launch of a regional platform on industrial cooperation and SME development work programme.

BUSINESSMED and its members aims to align the policy framework for SMEs across borders and discuss best practices for SME policy through the dialogue that will be initiated in the set-up of this thematic committee. It will be a chance to Employers federation to share their experiences and jointly elaborated recommendations for policy makers interested to improve their SME internationalization support policies.

The objectives of this Committee are to identify a set of best practices and guidelines to foster internationalization of SMEs to promote growth and intra-Mediterranean trade as a roadmap to recovery.