Foreign direct investment has been growing rapidly in recent years due mainly to a more welcoming attitude by governments everywhere ‐ not to mention the financial inducements made to entice foreign companies to set up in a country. The UK is the world’s third largest FDI recipient after the US and Canada and almost 40 per cent of the foreign direct investment flowing into the European Union is channelled into the UK. The European Commission disburses over Euro 25 billion annually in the form of loans, grants, guarantees and subsidies to encourage the economic well being of the European Union. There is therefore a need for guides into available funding opportunities.
This guide, otherwise known as The Green Book, “aims to provide business executives with a solid basis on which to make an investment decision”. It is arranged in four clear sections. Part one provides an overview of the European Union, the investment activity of the European Commission, the EU funding programmes and how to access the funds. Individual country reports from each of the 15 member EU countries comprise the second section. These provide at a glance comparative profiles outlining incentives available to investors, details of corporate and personal taxation, labour and employment facts including minimum salaries and dismissal regulations. This country data is reinforced by approximately 70 charts and tables comparing all EU countries. Therefore you can at a glance see that men work longer hours in the UK than anywhere else in Europe, that Greek inflation was, in 1996, the highest by far of the EU countries, unemployment is highest in Spain and Ireland far outstrips the rest of the EU in terms of GDP growth. The final section of the volume contains full contact details of inward investment agencies and other appropriate bodies such as Euro‐Info Points and the EU Confederation of Business & Industry.
This volume is clearly laid out and it is easy to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each country. It is therefore a useful publication for identifying the most appropriate investment location and the incentives on offer. It also usefully brings together in one volume many of the agencies who can give advice and specialist expertise on gaining funding. This volume would therefore make a worthwhile addition to the shelves of the business library.
