For almost twenty-five years, through the South East Europe Regional Programme (SEERP), the OECD has played an important role in stimulating convergence of the Western Balkans and Türkiye’s enterprise policies towards OECD standards and the EU acquis. It has provided regular assessment of the progression of SME policies in the region based on the Small Business Act for Europe. The work has so far helped policy-makers design, implement and monitor policies to support the recovery of SMEs from external shocks, boost their competitiveness, and further enhance the region’s economic growth and resilience.
- SME Policy Index. Developed on the basis of the ten principles of the Small Business Act (SBA) for Europe, the flagship series SME Policy Index identifies strengths and weaknesses in policy design, implementation and monitoring in the six Western Balkan economies and Türkiye. It contains detailed analyses on the progress and challenges in private sector development by reviewing policy areas such as access to finance, business support services, greening and internationalisation. By assessing and benchmarking the development of the region’s business environment for SMEs, governments are able to adapt their policies to the recommendations based on good practices in peer economies and OECD and EU member states, and measure progress on policy outcomes over time.
- Special Economic Zones. Through the dedicated report Tracking Special Economic zones in the Western Balkans, the OECD analysed the design of the special economic zones across the Western Balkans and assessed the impact these have on foreign direct investment levels. The report mapped the various incentives provided for investors, and highlighted areas of opportunity for a thriving private sector and enhanced foreign director investment in the region.