International

The European Parliament today adopted a report on the retail trade in the EU, but the proposed measures consistently fail to address the needs of small businesses. ‘I want local authorities to be able to use zoning to refuse planning permission to hypermarkets, so that small shops won’t disappear and town centres will remain lively places. The Parliament, however, sees this idea as a hindrance to the internal market.’

De Jong brought forward a number of other amendments aimed at improving the position of small shopkeepers and franchise holders, as he explains. “My proposal to tackle the kind of fraud which involves sending out false bills, for example from a fake Chamber of Commerce, was rejected. Many small businesses fall victim to these swindlers, who often operate out of another EU member state, making it easier for them to escape prosecution. “

The Netherlands is currently experimenting with a central information point where this kind of fraud can be reported, and De Jong’s proposal was that more attention should be paid at EU level to this kind of cross-border criminality.

The SP Euro-MP finds the attitude of the European Parliament hypocritical. “Time after time lip-service is paid to the real entrepreneurs, small business people, but when it comes to it the European Parliament leaves them high and dry.” De Jong says that, despite this setback, he will continue to work hard to further the interests of small firms.