DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN EUROPEAN UNION: POLICY AND SITUATION OF LITHUANIA AND POLAND

Unemployment, especially youth unemployment, problems of small and medium sized enterprises enforced to take actions in political level paying direct attention to the role and influence of social entrepreneurship in European Union (EU) countries. It became crucial for the countries such as Lithuania to strengthen social enterprises striving for business and enterprises development. The special interest of this article lays on comparative analysis of neighbourhood countries: Lithuania and Poland, disclosing similarities and distinctions of social entrepreneurship situation and policy of the countries. The article solves the problem focused on peculiarities of social entrepreneurship, its policy in Lithuania and Poland. This article presents key issues in theoretical discussion of social entrepreneurship at conceptual level. Policy documents in EU and countries level presented strong political incentives in EU level, but are rather poor in Lithuania, especially in terms of creating social enterprises. Situation of social enterprises in Poland is difficult as well in legal terms framing the possibilities of these enterprises. The efforts of improving situation in both countries should be put on complex view on the situation.