The implications of EU accession for Polish SMEs

Poland's membership of the EU will involve economic integration across a variety of fields, with important potential implications for the external environment in which business is conducted in Poland. These implications stem first from the need to adapt Polish legislation, regulatory systems, and methods of certification and standards to EU requirements; and, second, from the continuing process of transforming the Polish economy into a market-based system. Although integration processes have important potential implications for Polish firms of all sizes, it can be argued that there are size-related characteristics of SMEs that can affect their ability to cope with potential threats and respond to new opportunities presented. The paper draws on two studies commissioned by the Polish SME Foundation, in which the authors were involved. The first was concerned with a comparison of the conditions for SME development in Poland with those in EU member states; the second specifically with the implications of accession for Polish SMEs. In this context, the paper considers three key questions: (1) What are the main sources of threat and opportunity for Polish SMEs, arising out of EU membership? (2) What are the main implications for Polish and EU policymakers? (3) To what extent are the implications of Poland's accession to the EU similar to or different from the issues faced by SMEs in the United Kingdom at the time of Single Market completion?.