For successful economic transition to the new stage of development improvements in business environment, as also the entrepreneurswho are ready to start your own business and to set up new companies. One of the main challenges the EU Member States face isthe need to boost their level of entrepreneurship and to become more competitive in the global market. That was one of the mainobjectives set by the Lisbon European Council, in March 2000, with a view to improving the Union’s performance in terms of employment,economic reform and social cohesion. Entrepreneurship is not only a driving force in the creation of new jobs, but it alsoincreases and enhances competitiveness and growth, personal fulfilment and the achievement of social objectives. The authors payspecific attention to the need to examine factors that affect the business environment development and entrepreneurship in regions ofLatvia, which determinethe complexity of the existing conditions and factors in each region in Latvia.
Preventing degradation of the natural environment is a duty that a contemporary society has to fulfil. Global threats include mainly: the greenhouse effect, destruction of the ozone layer, loss of biodiversity, non-sustainable use of resources and reduction of the planet’s capacity for absorption of pollution and waste. Preventing the negative impact of economic processes on the natural environment is one of the priorities of the EU policy. Despite their diversity, EU countries pursue their goals on their way to a green economy. An improvement in the natural environment largely depends on the pro-environmental measures taken by small and medium-sized enterprises. The aim of the study is to present and compare the present state and barriers experienced in implementation of pro-environmental policy in small and medium-sized enterprises in selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.