From the Brussels office

Small business review

The European Commission has published its review of the Small Business Act, covering the three key areas of ensuring access to finance, taking full advantage of the Single Market, and “smart regulation”. It concludes that more needs to be done by member states: for example more states need to integrate the “think small first” mantra into legislative and policy decisions, and many need to simplify their bankruptcy procedures. The Commission also outlines a need for further action in five areas including smart regulation, financing needs, market access, and helping SMEs contribute to economic growth.

Rights of the child

“An EU Agenda for the Rights of the Child” follows a wide public consultation and interviews with children from across the EU. It puts forward three general principles: children’s rights should be integral to the EU’s fundamental rights policy; policy should be based on evidence, and evidence gathering must be improved; and finally, stakeholders must co-operate through the European Forum for the Rights of the Child. The Agenda sets out 11 concrete actions for the EU, including measures to make EU justice systems more child-friendly, measures to empower and protect vulnerable children, and measures to ensure that children’s rights feature in EU external action. This year the Commission will create a single entry point on EUROPA so children can access information about their rights and about the EU.