The European Commission has adopted a new Recommendation aimed at facilitating the transfer of small and medium-sized enterprises, with the objective of preserving business continuity, employment and economic value across the Single Market. Replacing the 1994 Recommendation, it encourages Member States to introduce coordinated measures to support business transfers, including cross-border transfers, through simpler legal, tax and administrative frameworks, greater use of digital tools and improved access to finance. The Recommendation also promotes awareness-raising, training and advisory measures for business owners and prospective buyers, recognising business transfers as a strategic stage in the life cycle of SMEs and a key driver of European competitiveness. The initiative also addresses priorities highlighted by the European chamber network, which had called for business transfers to be brought back to the centre of the EU agenda, through stronger coordination, simplification, dedicated financial instruments and support for generational and cross-border transfers.
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