Environmental Compliance Assistance Programme for SMEs – and beyond Imola Bedő DG Environment C1 – Sustainable Production and Consumption Unit

Potential = Business 23bn GBP23/ year potential savings for British enterprises – efficiency measures without or with little investment Providing resource efficiency and environmental services: eco-industries leading 3.4 million fulltime job equivalents Renewable energies: growing area Leading market shares in water management (30%), sustainable mobility (35%), green power generation (40%), waste management and recycling (50%), material and resource efficiency (10%)

We’d want SMEs to see that… … it’s more than treehugging Business reality, competitiveness issue, new opportunities … but many SMEs don’t seem to see 70% thinks they don’t have impact on the environment 0,4% has a certified EMS Short term focus Lack of time, expertise  in need of support, advice

Lack of awareness on environmental legislation Lack of expertise to understand legislation The cost of compliance is relatively higher Lack of time and expertise to understand issues Lack of clear, simple information Lack of time and expertise to implement environmental measures Lack of financial resources to address environmental issues Better regulation Targeted information Tailor- made EMS Targeted funding Local expertise ECAP

Some tools CHANGE – IEE CHANGE – IEE Advising SMEs on energy LCA to go LCA to go LCA tool development for SMEs SustainGraph – LIFE+ Development of an e-tool to help improve the performance of EU graphic SMEs EMAS Easy 123 Environnement ShoeLaw Enviornmental compliance - diagnosis National Industrial Symbiosis Programme Advice to SMEs

Roadmap to Resource efficiency Food Mobility Buildings % of total impacts Water Clean air Soil Materials Marine resources Key resources

Policies in the life cycle Waste Design Pro- duction Distribution Use Collection Reuse, recycling Natural resources Better products Efficient production More intelligent consumption Waste and recycling

Roadmap and SMEs Support networking and exchange of best practice between agencies providing resource efficiency assistance to SMEs Corresponding MS recommendation: Ensure that advice and support is available to help SMEs identify and improve their resource efficiency and sustainable use of raw materials (continuous);

Policies and regulation Demonstration projects, partnerships Standards & performance targets Finance and support to SMEs International cooperation New skills and jobs European innovation partnerships Barriers Uncertainty of demand Uncertainty of return on investment (or too long pay-back) Lack of funds Insufficient access to subsidies or fiscal incentives Lack of external financing Next FP7 Call: July 2012 Priorities: waste, waste treatment, drinking water, construction materials and insulation of buildings H2020 financial perspective (grants, equity, credits), ETV system bilateral environmental dialogue; network of eco-innovators (UNEP); technology transfer to developing countries Flagship: An agenda for EU skills and jobs Grouping institutions, experts, stakeholders for fast-track solutions Identified priorities: raw materials, water

Action 4: focus on SME needs Increase trust in eco-innovation outcomes -ETV a voluntary scheme to certify the eco-innovative aspect of technologies, products or services (active in BE, CZ, DK, FI, FR, PL, UK) Faster investment and finance - network of financiers: EC Commission will launch a call for proposal to set up a network of green financiers for better uptake of eco-innovation (financed under CIP eco- innovation, ) EU Regional funds: "Smart specialisation strategies" The possibility to create new financial instruments in support of eco-innovation is being explored - EU Loan & Guarantee Service (policy and market driven) and an Equity Instrument for research and innovation (start-up and growth phase)

strengthen the role of eco-innovation provide financial means for the implementation of the EcoAP ( ) mainly through: Societal Challenge “Climate Action and Resource Efficiency, including Raw Materials” 3160 million € proposed total funding

Useful links SMEs & environmental policy: ECAP Forum: ECAP Helpdesk: EMAS website: EMAS Easy methodology: Development of EMAS sectoral reference documents: Life+: CIP eco-innovation: JEREMIE: SME techweb (FP7): Enterprise Europe Network: Money back through the window: ENTR study on SMEs and environment: environment/environmental-challenge/index_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/business- environment/environmental-challenge/index_en.htm Study on the competitiveness of eco-industries: Eco-innovation Observatory Ecopol project ; ETV pilot: