Tackling policy frustrations to youth entrepreneurship in the Western Balkans.

With renewed interest by the European Union in enlarging the bloc to include the countries of the Western Balkans comes the challenge for all countries to meet up to the competitiveness demands of the EU’s internal market. While youth entrepreneurship is increasingly considered an opportunity in building more entrepreneurial and job-generating economies, the paper argues for more order in the policy environment to maximize the potential of young people to the wider competitiveness drive. This includes defining more precisely in age terms who are young entrepreneurs and the recognition of both necessity and opportunity entrepreneurship to each country’s socio-economic development. Secondly, the case is put for more developed data and intelligence on youth entrepreneurship to support evidence-based policy-making, including improved capacity to monitor and evaluate, and independent research to support policy-makers. Finally, the paper recommends a better differentiation in start-up support including more customized finance options for young entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]