Family business - reference documents

Study "Overview of family business relevant issues"

The study was carried out in 2008 and surveys the EU Member States, EEA countries (Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) and candidate countries (Turkey, Croatia, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). It covers the following topics:

General description of family firms in Europe (e.g. specific strengths, weaknesses, difficulties, challenges, advantages,) and the different definitions used. Special focus is put on the challenges affecting those family firms that are, at the same time, SMEs.
Description of the family business sector in each country (e.g. overall picture, relevant policies and/or actions locally carried out to develop a more favourable environment to family business, research in the country concerned, institutional framework), including the identification and analysis of "best practices" for a favourable environment for family business.
Database of family business related institutions/organisations in all the countries covered by the study.

You can access to the study through the following links:

STUDY [4 MB] (Main Document)

Country Sheets

EU Member States

Austria [260 KB]	Germany [88 KB]	The Netherlands [121 KB]
Belgium [147 KB]	Greece [102 KB]	Poland [106 KB]
Bulgaria [108 KB]	Hungary [115 KB]	Portugal [71 KB]
Cyprus [84 KB]	Ireland [94 KB]	Romania [146 KB]
Czech Rep. [111 KB]	Italy [154 KB]	Slovakia [108 KB]
Denmark [101 KB]	Latvia [45 KB]	Slovenia [136 KB]
Estonia [79 KB]	Lithuania [82 KB]	Spain [106 KB]
Finland [166 KB]	Luxemburg [73 KB]	Sweden [132 KB]
France [164 KB]	Malta [84 KB]	United Kingdom [220 KB]