Access to finance for SMEs and increasing the diversity of SME funding in a capital markets union

This own-initiative report concerns access to finance for SMEs and increasing the diversity of SME funding in a capital markets union. Amendments stress the EU budget, bank lending and diversified equity instruments, debate the Capital Markets Union and EFSI's adequacy for SMEs, welcome programmes such as COSME and the European Investment Fund, and highlight barriers facing young entrepreneurs, women and micro-enterprises, business angels and crowd-funding.