Small and medium business of Ukraine to benefit from the EU programme COSME with a budget of 2.3 billion euros

OREANDA-NEWS. January 19, 2016. At a Government meeting the Cabinet of Ministers approved a draft agreement on Ukraine's participation in the EU programme "Competitiveness of the enterprises of small and medium enterprises (COSME)". Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Aivaras Abromavicius was commissioned to sign in the near future this important document on behalf of the Government with representatives of the European Union.

Aivaras Abromavicius, Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine noted: "With the start of year free trade area between Ukraine and the EU has taken effect in full. We, on equal terms, are joining the EU program of development of small and medium businesses COSME. It provides a number of additional opportunities for the Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises. Firstly, it is assistance to access the EU market through consultations and training programmes, and secondly, the possibility to find partners in the EU through the access to an extensive network of contacts, including investment and venture funds. Now the main thing is to use all the potential."

COSME helps businesses to access markets in the EU and beyond. Ukrainian entrepreneurs will benefit from getting professional advice and analysis, support for export and import activities and expanding trade and economic ties. The educational part of the programme includes exchange of experience, in particular, getting access to funding in the framework of the programme Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, the various sectoral conferences, trainings, seminars, exchange programs, internships.

"With Joining COSME Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises will benefit from full access to European enterprise network (ENN/Enterprise, http://een.ec.europa.eu ). The EEN network covers 65 countries, with more than 600 business associations - financial and those specializing in technology transfer. It is also over 2.5 million companies-participants, over 16.000 technological solutions and business proposals. During a year the EEN organizes about 100 large events for businesses seeking for partners among over 9.000 participating companies", explained Deputy Minister Yulia Klymenko.