Euronews explores which countries in Europe are relatively easier to set up a new business in, given the current economic environment.
The escalating trade tensions between the EU and the US, as well as the EU and China have led to rising business, economic and financial volatility in the last several months.
Sticky-high inflation and relatively high interest rates have also contributed to the increasing uncertainty, while the ongoing cost of living crisis being seen in several parts of Europe has eroded start-up capital.
As such, choosing which European country to set up a new business can feel like an especially daunting task at the moment.
However, there is still a silver lining for founders, as the EU has been focusing more on ramping up its domestic production of goods and services, in an attempt to reduce its reliance on foreign countries.
This involves welcoming more small and medium enterprises (SME) by offering a number of financing and support schemes such as EIC Accelerator, Horizon Europe, Women TechEU, EIC STEP Scale Up, Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and more.Â
The EU also has several knowledge tools such as the Your Europe Business Portal, Enterprise Europe Network and Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs.
According to the European Commission, the EU has around 35,000 early-stage start-ups in 2025.
How easy it is to conduct business in any country means taking a few key factors into consideration. The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index has classified these into 10 parameters. These include:
- Starting a business
- Dealing with construction permits
- Getting electricity
- Registering property
- Getting credit
- Protecting minority investors
- Paying taxes
- Trading across borders
- Enforcing contracts
- Resolving insolvency
Euronews looks at where in Europe founders could have a relatively easier time setting up a business in the current economic environment.
