Confartigianato is celebrating its 80th anniversary with an event at the European Parliament

Brussels – The concerns of craftspeople and micro and small businesses, and Europe’s role in supporting their competitiveness, were the focus of Confartigianato’s mission to Brussels, which celebrated the Confederation’s 80th anniversary at the European Parliament. The event was hosted by Antonella Sberna, Vice-President of the European Parliament and MEP for Fratelli d’Italia. 

The delegation, led by President Marco Granelli, also met with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. The discussion centred on the role of micro and small enterprises in EU industrial policy and the “Think Small First” principle, with a call for greater attention to be paid to the needs of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) when shaping European policies. 

“An increasingly significant proportion of the regulations affecting businesses are drawn up at European level,” emphasised Granelli, reiterating Confartigianato’s commitment to “promoting European regulations tailored to small businesses.” Among the issues addressed were the packaging regulation—for which the association is calling for “legal certainty and adequate timeframes”—the revision of public procurement rules, and the regulation on industrial acceleration, to ensure that the “Made in Italy” supply chains are also adequately supported among the strategic sectors. 

“I believe that, as well as being a celebration, this is also an opportunity to take stock of 80 years of activity and representation, and to set out a few agenda items on which we MPs are here to listen to you,” said Sberna, emphasising that the aim is “to be of assistance to our social fabric and our business community.” 

According to the Vice-President, there are three priorities: “the issues of simplification and better regulation”, “the revival of competitiveness” and a focus on the new multiannual financial framework. “Without a stable, sustainable, and, above all, forward-looking framework, it is difficult to build trust and thus attract investment,” she observed. 

During the meeting, a video message from the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno, was shown, in which she described micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises as “the backbone” of the European economy: they account for 99 per cent of businesses in the EU. 

“In this context, Europe faces a clear choice: to build genuine strategic autonomy or to remain exposed to the upheavals of a rapidly changing world,” said Picierno. Autonomy, she added, also depends on the ability of SMEs to compete, innovate, and embrace digitalisation “without being stifled by a bureaucracy that all too often weighs more heavily on small businesses than on large ones.” 

Finally, Granelli reiterated the need to “bring Europe closer to the concerns and needs of citizens and micro-enterprises,” by working towards “simplification and cutting red tape.” “We want a Union in which we can play a leading role, participating in all supply chains and helping to create not only ‘Made in Italy’ but also ‘Made in Europe’,” he concluded.