As part of Capital Markets Union, the European Commission accepted an agreement reached by the European Parliament and the bloc's 28 members on helping Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) with gaining further access to capital markets in an attempt to finance their growth and create jobs.

The next step is the formal approval of the rules by European Parliament and Council.

The core element of the Union's agenda is to ensure that the new rules encourage small businesses in the EU to a...