Business Environment of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the European Union

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are an integral part of the business environment in developed economies worldwide. They are regarded as main promoters of innovation and employment, as well as social and local European integration. The economic and financial crisis of recent years has left significant traces in the segment of small and medium-sized enterprises, which led to different developments in individual countries of the European Union (EU). Creating and systematic improvement of the business environment is an important part of supporting the development of start-ups and existing enterprises. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the current state of the business environment for small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU.