Zes jaar geleden, in 1997, waren er volgens de cijfers van Eurostat 18.802.423 ondernemingen in de toenmalige Europese Unie, waarvan 18 miljoen micro-ondernemingen. ###>Six years ago, in 1997, Eurostat’ s figures told us that the Europe of the Fifteen was home to 18 802 423 businesses, 18 million of which were microfirms.