Key points

The EESC calls for:

•  an active strategy promoting best practices on family businesses among Member States to be implemented;
•  preparation of a legal framework on family businesses, which would include a commonly acceptable definition of a family business;
•  a family business category to be included in European statistics and national data on family business to be gathered in an effective way;
•  better regulation on the transfer of family businesses from one generation to the next;
•  the family organisational climate and innovation among family firms to be promoted;
•  education to be developed and research promoted in the area of family entrepreneurship;
•  family farms to be supported and cooperative-based entrepreneurship redeveloped;
•  tax deductions to be introduced on reinvested profits, and opportunities for family businesses to increase their capital without granting voting rights;
•  active cooperation at EU level with organisations representing family businesses.