ISSUE: 1/2026
- Volume 30
- Number 1
- 2026
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Studia Europejskie –
Studies in European Affairs
ISSN: 1428-149X
e-ISSN: 2719-3780
License
Articles published in the journal are under a Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial – No Derivatives 4.0 International License
Publication co-financed by Ministry of Science and Higher Education pursuant to the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Science of 3 August 2021 (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 1514) on the “Development of Scientific Journals” programme.
Publikacja dofinansowana przez Ministerstwo Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego na podstawie rozporządzenia Ministra Edukacji i Nauki z 3 sierpnia 2021 r. (Dz. U. z 2021 r. poz. 1514) w sprawie programu „Rozwój czasopism naukowych”.
Publication co-financed by the University of Warsaw within the “Excellence Initiative – Research University” programme.
Czasopismo otrzymało dofinasowanie w ramach Programu „Inicjatywa Doskonałości – Uczelnia Badawcza”.
An Assessment of the Maturity of Poland’s SME Sector for Sustainable Development in Comparison With Other European Union Member States
Abstract
This article presents a comparative assessment of the maturity of Poland’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector in relation to sustainable development, benchmarked against the EU-27 average as well as the bestand worst-performing Member States (MAX/MIN). The analysis identifies maturity gaps across five dimensions: the environment, social, governance, investment, and the value chain. The study is based on secondary data from the Eurobarometer survey SMEs, Resource Efficiency and Green Markets, using the 2021 and 2024 survey waves, analysed as aggregated statistical indicators enabling cross-country comparisons. To interpret the findings, a three-level maturity scale (low/moderate/high) is applied, positioning Poland relative to the EU-27 average and the minimum–maximum range.
The results indicate a moderate level of maturity in the environmental and social dimensions. Environmental performance is dominated by so-called “basic sustainability action”, while the social dimension demonstrates convergence towards the EU-27 average. The conclusions confirm that Polish SMEs are gradually adapting to environmental and regulatory requirements, yet they continue to lag significantly behind EU leaders, particularly in the areas of strategic orientation, investment, and the integration of sustainable development into market activities.
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Language: English
Pages: 287-308
How to Cite:
Harvard
Włodarkiewicz-Klimek, H. and Dubel, P. and Glinka, B. and Najda-Janoszka, M. (2026) "An Assessment of the Maturity of Poland’s SME Sector for Sustainable Development in Comparison With Other European Union Member States". Studia Europejskie – Studies in European Affairs, 1/2026, pp. 287-308. DOI: 10.33067/SE.1.2026.16