The aim of this research is to examine the role of entrepreneurship in changing the employment rate in the European Union (EU). With the aim of understanding the relationship between entrepreneurship and employment dynamics, this research investigates the impact of entrepreneurial activities on job creation, job opportunities, and overall employment trends across EU member states. By analyzing a comprehensive dataset encompassing various economic indicators and entrepreneurial metrics, including business startups, self-employment rates, and entrepreneurial ecosystem factors, this study provides insights into the mechanisms through which entrepreneurship influences employment in the EU. The analysis considers both the direct and indirect effects of entrepreneurship on employment, exploring how entrepreneurial ventures contribute to job creation, stimulate economic growth, and shape labor market dynamics. The findings of this study reveal that entrepreneurship plays a crucial role in changing the employment rate in the EU. Entrepreneurial activities, such as new business startups and self-employment, contribute significantly to job creation, particularly in sectors characterized by innovation, technology, and services. Furthermore, entrepreneurship fosters a dynamic and flexible labor market, promoting job opportunities and reducing unemployment rates. The study also highlights the importance of supportive policies, access to financing, and a favorable regulatory environment in facilitating entrepreneurship and its positive impact on employment. Understanding the role of entrepreneurship in changing the employment rate has implications for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders involved in fostering economic growth and labor market development in the EU. The findings emphasize the need to encourage and support entrepreneurial initiatives, provide resources and support mechanisms for startups, and create an enabling environment that nurtures entrepreneurship and innovation. By leveraging the potential of entrepreneurship, the EU can stimulate employment growth, enhance competitiveness, and achieve sustainable economic prosperity.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the existence and directions of the causal relationships between the level of tax revenue and a set of determinants, using data from 26 European countries for the period 2015–2018. In particular, by applying the panel cointegration method and estimating panel-based Error Correction Models, the long-run and causal relationships between the variables, are being explored. The results of the analysis confirm the existence of cointegration relationships (long-run relationships) and suggest a significant degree of interdependence. In particular, the investigation showed that the level of GDP per capita and public debt, the assessment of the level of control of corruption, the government effectiveness index, the degree of the efficiency of tax administration and the level of tax rates (individuals and corporate) significantly affect the level of tax revenue collection. The analysis also confirms the existence of macroeconomic interdependence (interconnection) between the European countries.

Energy poverty is an emerging issue towards global affairs. Currently, the development of energy-related policies is becoming essential, with regard to new societies, social inclusion and social rights. In this paper, we examine the dynamic patterns of energy poverty among 27 EU member states between 2005 and 2020. We use the log-t regression test to investigate the convergence hypothesis, and the P&S data-driven algorithm to detect potential convergence clubs. The empirical results of energy poverty indicators are mixed, and the convergence hypothesis of the states is rejected. Instead, convergence clubs are exhibited, implying that groups of countries converge to different steady states in the long run. In view of the convergence clubs, we suggest that the affordability of heating services is potentially explained by structural conditions of housing, climate conditions and energy costs. Besides, the adverse financial and social conditions for the European households have significantly triggered the arrears on utility bills. Moreover, a significant proportion of households do not have basic sanitation services.

This scoping review synthesizes the evidence from eleven key studies to assess the impact of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) on regional development across the European Union (EU), focusing on fund efficiency, regional disparities and convergence, governance quality, economic freedom, and fund management. A systematic search was conducted across multiple databases to identify the relevant literature published up to 2023. Eleven studies were selected based on the date published and their focus on ESIFs’ role in regional development, employing a range of methodological approaches including Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), spatial econometrics, and multivariate analyses. The thematic analysis identified four main categories: Methodological Approaches in Evaluating Fund Efficiency, Regional Disparities and Convergence, The Interconnection between Governance Quality, Economic Freedom, and the Efficiency of Structural Fund Management, and The Absorption Capacity and Fund Management. The review highlights the importance of sophisticated analytical tools in evaluating fund efficiency, with DEA and spatial econometrics providing critical insights into fund management efficiency. Studies underscored the nuanced efficacy of ESIFs in reducing regional disparities, albeit pointing to the need for more targeted fund allocation. Governance quality and economic freedom emerged as pivotal factors enhancing fund management efficiency, suggesting the potential of governance reforms in optimizing ESIF allocation and utilization. Challenges related to fund absorption and management were illuminated, advocating for enhanced institutional management capabilities and the development of innovative performance indicators. The findings of this scoping review contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding ESIFs’ impact on regional development within the EU. They underscore the critical importance of governance quality, economic freedom, methodological rigor, and strategic fund allocation in enhancing the effectiveness of ESIFs. The review calls for tailored policy interventions and the integration of national and European funding strategies to maximize the impact of these programs on regional development and SME support. Future research should continue to refine these methodological approaches and explore the causal effects of funding, to enhance our understanding of ESIFs’ efficiency in promoting regional development and convergence within the European Union.

Innovation systems consist of different organisations from the quadruple helix, as well as the interactions and linkages between them. Smart technologies and ICT play a key role in the efficiency of systems. At the same time, regional scale is considered crucial for studying innovation in systems. However, the lack of many important data at the regional level compounds the efforts to study them. The paper proposes a novel methodological approach to the regionalisation of national-level indicators in order to address this issue. This is based on the model fit approach, using regressions to “regionalise” national-level indicators based on similar indicators that are available. The approach is tested on the data for Greek NUTS 2 regions and produces regional-level estimates for four innovation indicators, based on four available indicators that are found to be strongly correlated to them. However, the same approach can be used for any EU country or the whole of the EU. The results, their prospects for future research, and potential applications are considered. Overall, the availability of regional-level indicators is considered crucial for the formulation of impactful development policies.