From the preface :
The European Commission supports Member States by providing them with
recommendations, guidelines, information and good practices. For years, the European
Commission has stimulated Member States to develop matching platforms to efficiently
support sellers and buyers of SMEs in ownership change.
A matching platform is a valuable link in the sale/acquisition chain of SMEs. Over the
ten past years, not only the European Commission has been pointing out the essential role
played by platforms. In many Member States matching platforms started or matured,
either in the public sector, by private organizations or both (semi-public).
Matching platforms are mentioned in all the EU business transfer reference documents
and more particularly in the Small Business Act and its Review in 2011, the 2006
Communication, the 2013 Expert Group on SME Transfers and the recent
Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan. Special attention is devoted to the important
challenge of efficient matching platforms in Europe.
As observed in the latest (2013) EU Expert Group on Business Transfers:
 There is no development in the type of matching platforms recommended by the
2006 Expert Group.
 The “landscape” of matching platforms in Europe has changed over the past 10
years, with, among others, the co-existence of private on-line platforms alongside
the public platforms.
 There is a need for an update in quality standards and for the consultation of
matching platforms themselves in order to understand their working and identify
good practices.