Resume

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), both within the primary and secondary member states of the EU countries, are considered to be really important driving forces in developing innovations and increasing the employment rate, so the only way of success in creating new European economic system is to provide SMEs with preferential role in these procedures. All the Hungarian, Romanian and Slovakian economic polices emphasize the important role of promotion in developing SMEs, in accord with the principle idea 'Think small first!', defined in the Lisbon program of the EU and the European Committee.

The fundamental aim of this study is to analyze the economic role of SMEs in Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, with the method of comparative analysis. The number and rate of SMEs is represented by using the data of the previous decade, and the changing role of this employing sector is also analyzed in the fields of gross added value, net turnover and export sales revenue. Despite the numerous similarities, different tendencies occurred in the three different countries, offering topics for further studies referring to the reasons of differences.

Prior to a comparison of data, this study mentions both the comparability of international data and the macroeconomic environment that surrounds the undertakings of this sector in the individual countries.