Improving Information / Impact Assessment for the Croatian Business Community

Project Description

The project was based at the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship (MELE), which wa one of the five beneficiaries (others are SME Agency (HAMAG), HGK, HOK and HUP. BIZimpact had four components directly connected to the Acquis and EU Charter for SMEs:

• Component 1. Preparation and delivery of training and mini guides on 8 legislative fields, namely: consumer protection, environmental protection, standardsfor agricultural / industrial products, public procurement, state aid / competition policy and intellectual property rights.
• Component 2. Development of a regulatory impact assessment methodology and handbook; preparation and delivery of capacity building (workshops and train the trainers); organisation and implementation of regulatory reform study tours to UK and Poland; coordination and preparation of 5 impact assessments (SME law, public procurement law, misleading advertising law, crafts law and consumer protection law); cascading of impact assessment training.
• Component 3. Methodology and preparation of large scale national survey of 2,000 Croatian businesses and crafts and their needs in relation to preparation for accession to the EU and maximising the business opportunities arising thereof. Qualitative analysis (focus groups and face-to-face interviews) combining and adding to the quantitative analysis.
• Component 4. Numerous initiatives to improve communication, information flows and dialogue between government, business associations and small businesses and crafts. These activities were implemented through a Communication Strategy and Action Plan, combined with a Communications Working Group made up of project beneficiaries.

Services Provided

• Team Leader function.
• Impact assessment capacity building in relation to laws and regulations affecting SMEs.
• Dissemination of key legal / regulatory information to SMEs.
• Assistance with development of public – private dialogue in the enterprise sector.
• Development and implementation of a Communications Strategy and Action Plan.