AAD DE KONING AND JACQUELINE Snijders are both employed at the International Research Department of the Research Institute for Small and Medium Business (ELM) in the Netherlands. This paper gives figures concerning the position of small and medium enterprises in the European Community; in addition to an overview of the target groups, the organisation and objectives of SME policy in the different EC member states, a comparison is made between the supportive measures in ten areas -- fiscal policies, regional policies, education and training, business licensing, financing, information and counselling, technology and research and developing, supply and contracting, export policies and employment. At thje same time the differences in SME policy are analysed on the basis of characteristics of countries, such as prosperity level and export volume.

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