This survey round was conducted between 18 February and 21 March 2013, covering a sample of 7,510 firms in the euro area.
Between October 2012 and March 2013, euro area SMEs reported an increase in external financing needs for bank loans (5% of respondents in net terms, i.e. the difference between the percentage of firms reporting an increase and the percentage of those reporting a decrease, unchanged from the previous survey round).
They also reported a deterioration in the availability of bank loans, although the situation has improved compared with the previous survey (-10% of respondents, in net terms, up from -22%).
The survey results also point to lower rejection rates for euro area SMEs when applying for a loan (11%, down from 15%) and a somewhat smaller percentage of SMEs reporting access to finance as their main problem (16%, compared with 18%).
