Corporate: Communication on transfer of SMEs

United Kingdom

The Commission has adopted a communication regarding its concerns that the 1994 Commission recommendations on the transfer of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have not been sufficiently followed by the Member States. The Commission provides further guidelines on measures to ease the transfer of SMEs, as part of a renewed effort to improve the legislative, fiscal and financial environment for such transactions. The communication singles out a number of areas of particular concern: legal measures, tax measures, and support measures provided by public institutions and private persons regarding the transfer of businesses (OJ C93/2, 28.3.98).