Following the success of the last year, the Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission launches its  Second European SME Week, which is designed to promote and support entrepreneurship. Events are being organised to help SMEs and micro-firms share experiences and develop their businesses.

First held in 2009, European SME Week is now central to the European Commission’s actions to support small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly through the EU’s Small Business Act (SBA). Adopted in 2008, the Act calls on the Union and its Member States to develop an environment “within which entrepreneurs and family businesses can thrive and entrepreneurship is rewarded”.

European SME Week 2010, which will take place from 25 May to 1 June, aims to:

• Provide information on what the EU and national, regional and local authorities are offering as support to micro, small and medium-sized businesses.
• Promote entrepreneurship so that more people, and in particular younger ones, seriously consider becoming an entrepreneur as a career option.
• Give recognition to entrepreneurs for their contribution to Europe's welfare, jobs, innovation and competitiveness.

Over 2.7 million people are estimated to participate in some 1000 events that are being organised in 37 countries for European SME Week 2010, which will take place between 25 May and 1 June. This initiative will showcase the support available to business at the European, national, regional and local level. These events should also be an opportunity for existing SMEs to share their experiences and to further develop their businesses.

All the events wil conclude with a two-day conference which will take place in Madrid under the Spanish Presidency of the European Union: "Getting SMEs on the road to recovery". The conference, which pretends to bring together policy makers from across Europe to exchange experience in implementing the Small Business Act for Europe (SBA), incorporates the European Enterprise Awards 2010.

It will present a selection of successful and inspiring practices and policies from across the EU, which address - particularly at local and regional level - some of the key challenges SMEs are facing in successfully exciting the crisis. The wider debate kindled at the conference will also contribute towards the European Commission's review of the SBA in the second half of 2010.

In 2009, during the first European SME week, which ended in Prague, more than 1,200 national, regional and local events took place in various settings as part of European SME Week.