The paper deals with the development of the entrepreneurship and SME policy support agenda in some CEE and CIS countries in the process of systemic transition, basing both on desk research and the results of an own expert survey in 14 countries. The author points out the initial differences of the socio-economic context of SME policy in transitional societies from the very beginning of the systemic transition and emphasizes the role of the framework rules and regulations of the EU in the establishment of the appropriate policy in the CEE countries. He shows both similarities as well as peculiarities in the design of the SME policy in 14 Post-Socialist economies. Taking the experience of the CEE and CIS countries with very different framework conditions and economic performance, the paper transfers some obtained evidence into the Russian context, offering a re-conceptualization of the established entrepreneurship and SME policy towards a more stringent consideration of both framework conditions and the state of the SME on the regional level.