SME Europe today welcomed Sari Rautio, President of the European People’s Party Group in the European Committee of the Regions (EPP‑CoR Group), to its Board Meeting at the organisation’s Brussels headquarters.
During the session, Sari Rautio extended thanks for the cooperation at the successful Economic Leadership Forum at the 2025 Valencia Congress and underlined the shared commitment to connect local and regional voices with shaping a pro‑growth, pro‑entrepreneurship agenda in the EPP family.
"I am delighted to join SME Europe today as we deepen our cooperation. Together we can ensure EU policies stay agile and focused on the real needs of entrepreneurs and the communities they power. Think Small — Think Local — Think Regional!"
"From words to action"
Expanding on her remarks, President Rautio stressed the importance of turning political intent into tangible results on the ground:
"It is crucial to work together if we want to raise our collective impact. As local and regional authorities, we have a clear vision of what we want to achieve, especially when it comes to supporting small and medium‑sized enterprises, the backbone of our local economies. We need to move from words to action and make sure our initiatives have real impact where people live and work.
We must act local and think global — and subsidiarity is the foundation that makes this possible."
Thanking the Board of SME Europe for their perspectives on the European Committee of the Regions as the guardian of subsidiarity, she agreed and emphasised that subsidiarity is not a technicality but "the only way to get things done". Peer reviews need to be used more, said Rautio. And during the Exchange of Views, there was alignment on the point that the small and solo entrepreneurs' voices need greater voice in EU decision-making, but also on the need for caution when it comes to trends on the Left side to scapegoat larger companies. Given the ecosystems in place, the small guys need the big ones, and big players need the small.
The EPP-CoR Group President recalled the main local and regional competences including public procurement, urban planning, transport policy, climate adaptation, the implementation of cohesion policy and building regional defence and resilience. Rautio shared here the case of regional defence industry clusters, such as DEFINE. Rautio reiterated the European Committee of the Regions’ openness to collaborate and invited SME Europe to build even closer synergies in the months ahead.
Aligning centre‑right voices for SME competitiveness
Echoing Rautio’s intervention, SME Europe President Jörgen Warborn welcomed the strengthened bridge between local leaders and EU legislators: "With EPP‑CoR Group at the table we speak the same language—one that keeps SMEs at the heart of Europe’s competitiveness."
Next steps
- SME Europe’s Board accepted Rautio’s invitation to exchange views with EPP‑CoR Group Members during the major European Week of Regions & Cities this October.
- As respective Presidents, Ms. Rautio and Mr. Warborn look forward to seeing each other also at future EPP Political Assemblies
About SME Europe
SME Europe is the business organisation of the European People’s Party and focuses on shaping EU legislation to support SME development, job creation, innovation, and overall success.