The Influence of EU Membership on Entrepreneurship

Abstract

This research considers literature on the effect of EU membership on entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial behavior, while controlling for the influence of personal and regional characteristics. By making use of data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and the World Bank a data analysis is performed on the new EU members Hungary and Slovenia. The data outcomes are used in a questionnaires among entrepreneurship experts in Hungary and Slovenia. The questionnaire outcomes are in turn considered by entrepreneurship experts from a candidate EU country, namely Macedonia. This is done to answer to what extent EU accession relates to subsequent changes in both attitude towards entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial behavior and how entrepreneurship policy in Macedonia, as a candidate EU member, can anticipate on this. It shows that EU accession does not have a positive influence on entrepreneurial attitude in Hungary and Slovenia and that EU accession has a negative influence on entrepreneurial behaviour in Hungary and a positive in Slovenia. After EU accession the influence of education become of greater positive influence in explaining EA and EB. For Macedonia to anticipate well on changes in entrepreneurial attitude and entrepreneurial behaviour after EU accession they should focus on entrepreneurship education, preparing entrepreneurs for the single EU market and provide financial aid to start-ups.