Assessment of the European Union Phare Programme : Country: Multi Country ; Sector: Ad Hoc Report on Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Development

Phare support to SME development has mainly consisted of technical assistance and advisory services to national institutions, support to SME policy and legislative development and financial support for SME development. Progress has been made in tackling problems inherited from the past, as well as in developing a favourable environment for the creation of new companies. However, formation and survival rates of SME are still well below the EU average and as such there are a number of challenges to be faced at both the enterprise and government levels. ... The principal objective of this Report is to identify lessons and make recommendations for the design of future SME programmes, based on a desk analysis of the conclusions and findings of Phare Programme Monitoring and Assessment Reports, Country Assessment Reviews, other monitoring data and strategic planning documents produced within the Candidate countries, and interviews with key stakeholders.