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Typology of SMEs in EU Chemicals:Basic indicators

21 June 2010

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SMEs Definition

Micro-enterprises: employ fewer than 10 persons and have an annual turnover not exceeding € 2 Million, or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding € 2 Million

Small-enterprises: employ fewer than 50 persons and have an annual turnover not exceeding € 10 Million, or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding € 10 Million

Medium-enterprises: employ fewer than 250 persons and have an annual turnover not exceeding € 50 Million, or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding € 43 Million

Source: EU Commission, 6 May 2003

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SMEs Definition

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96% of all European chemicals enterprises are SMEs having less than 250 employees, providing 37% of all jobs and generating 30% of sales

Data source: Eurostat SBS (2001)

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EU Chemicals: Number of enterprises, sales and employment by size-class

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There are about 27 000 enterprises operating in the EU chemicals industry (excluding pharmaceuticals), providing employment for 1.2 million people,

Some 63% of these enterprises are micro (0-9 employees), 23% are small (10-49), 10% are medium-sized (50-249). 96% of all EU enterprises are therefore considered as SMEs (26 000) having less than 250 employees

Nearly 4% of all enterprises are large having more than 249 employees, 2.1% (250-499), 1.1% (500-999), and only 0.7% (1000 or more)

SMEs: the real giants of the EU chemicals industry

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About 86% of enterprises have less than 50 employees

Between (500 and 999), 1.1%

Medium (50-249), 10.4%

Between( 250 and 499), 2.1%

1 000 or more, 0.7%

Small (10-49), 23.1%

Micro (1-9), 62.6% Number of companies: 27 00096% of them are SMEs (1-249)

Data source: Eurostat SBS (2001)

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Nearly 70% of SMEs are located in 5 countries: Italy, Spain, UK, France and Germany

Portugal2.9%

Sweden2.6%

Czech Republic4.6%

Finland1.1%

Denmark1.1%

Austria1.2%

Poland*1.1%

Others11.9%

Netherlands2.2%

Belgium2.4%

Germany*9.0%

France12.0%

United Kingdom12.3%

Spain*14.6%

Italy21.1%

Number of SMEs: 26 253

Data source: Eurostat SBS (2001)

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What are the most important problems that European SMEs are facing and which prevent their growth?

*European commission: Report on the results of open consultation, 22/04/2009

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There are 17 093 enterprises (Micro) operating in the EU chemicals industry, having less than 10 employees.

These Micro enterprises are providing 3.8% of employment and generating nearly 2% of sales.

About 72% of them are located in six EU countries, Italy (22%), Spain (14%), France (12%), UK (11%), Germany* (7%) and Czech Republic (6%)

84% of Micro enterprises are active in consumer chemicals (32%), basic chemicals (26%), and other chemicals (26%)

Nearly two thirds of EU chemicals enterprises have less than 10 employees (Micro)

*estimated