Avenues for Boosting the Internationalisation of European SMEs and social enterprises for quality of life

This own‑initiative opinion aims to assess how the EU can better support the internationalisation of SMEs, particularly through the Global Gateway strategy and other EU support instruments. It seeks to identify gaps in coordination, coherence, visibility and accessibility of existing measures, and develop recommendations to increase SME participation in international markets and Global Gateway projects.

The opinion will focus on reducing barriers to internationalisation, improving access to information and finance, strengthening SMEs' role in EU-led value chains, enhancing the effectiveness of trade and support instruments, and creating better synergies between existing programmes. Special attention will be given to vulnerable groups such as micro-enterprises, social economy enterprises, crafts and liberal professions.

Ultimately, the goal is to propose practical, targeted and easy-to-use tools and policies that help European SMEs expand internationally, strengthen their competitiveness and resilience, contribute to sustainable growth, and improve quality of life across the EU.