France is taking the lead. If you’re looking for the location that attracts the most overseas companies in the EU – France is your place. Last year alone, foreign direct investment (FDI) in France rose by 22%. France’s Agency for International Investment issued its annual report yesterday, showing that it received $57.4 billion in foreign investments in 2010.
Leading Investment Location
That number makes it the leading location for FDI in the European Union – ahead of Belgium, Britain and Germany. At this point, France is the fourth best location around the globe for foreign investments – trailing behind only the US, China and Hong Kong.
Creating Jobs
This news bodes well for the employment rates as well, with estimates by France’s Agency for International Investment that these figures indicate that 31,815 jobs were either created or saved in France as a result of these numbers.
Looking Ahead
As Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire said, “France is a country open to investments, to all who want to create jobs.” French President Nicolas Sarkozy is already working to maintain and increase these numbers. Meeting with the heads of 25 foreign companies with operations in France, he pledged to streamline the tax processes and administrative issues for foreign investors.
