WHY INVEST IN EUROPE?

It is widely known that Europe has been the first choice for foreign investors in recent years. Why is Europe such a great option for investment? What makes these European countries an important touristic and investment destination within the continent? Why would a businessperson move to Europe with his/her family? Some of the factors will be described below. Additionally, you can find in this article options for investment that will shine a new impression of Europe.

Strategic location
Europe is strategically located where three continents meet – Europe, Africa and North America. As such, Europe is in the middle of the most important international routes.
Living in Europe will enable fast and easy connections to plenty of destinations, which is a great asset in case you are a businessperson who frequently travels across the world to attend conferences and meetings.

Excellent quality of life
Ranging from food to diversity in weather, Europe is well-known for its high quality of life. It offers a pleasant stay throughout the whole year. Another important factor contributing to the high quality of life is the safety in the cities. Europe is diversified, has ethnic culture and preserved history which is definitely popular across the globe. Its major cities, offer leisure options for all ages which will please the whole family.

Economic Prosperity
At the moment, Europe provides an optimistic scenario for investors in terms of economy. According to the 2019 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development “OECD Economic Surveys Europe”, “the economic situation in Europe has improved significantly over the past few years.

Infrastructure for any type of business
Europe is rated amongst the 10 best in the world with regard to road networks. However, it is not just the road networks; it also has good traveling connections. It also has good banking and telecommunications services.
Transportation within European Union is conveniently possible via road, trains and flights as well.

The EU is entering its fifth consecutive year of growth. GDP is now higher than before the crisis and the employment rate has increased, thanks in part to reforms in a number of Member States. This report analyses the main barriers and drivers to investment in Europe. For the past two years, the Investment Plan for Europe has contributed to making smarter use of EU financial resources through the European Fund for Strategic Investments. As of September 2017, the Fund has approved operations worth around €236 billion in growth enhancing investment projects. The Investment Plan also provides technical assistance to investment promoters through the European Investment Advisory Hub and ensures transparency of investment projects. The Investment Plan also aims to remove regulatory and nonregulatory barriers to investment in Member States, at both national and EU level. This is important as weaknesses in the business environment and rigidities in labour and product markets hinder the reallocation of resources and can weaken investment in dynamic firms and sectors. The first part of the report analyses recent
investment developments in EU Member States and identifies the main macro and micro economic determinants of investment. It also shows that reform efforts to address investment barriers have been mostly done during the crisis, but the pace of reforms has slowed down since then. The current recovery period is however offering a new window of opportunity, which should not be missed. Due to the legacies from the crisis and other structural weaknesses, economies in most Member States need to better allocate resources towards productive and dynamic firms/sectors, and reforms are still vital for investment dynamism. The second part focuses on business regulation and public administration, using indicators and a recent Euro barometer survey on the perception of business environment in Europe. Despite improvement in most Member States, firms’ perceptions of the business environment remain rather negative in some countries. The last part of the report discusses the importance of investment in intangibles and analyses the main barriers to investment in both tangible and intangible. Intangible investments play an important role in creating value for companies and economies. The report presents empirical evidence that shows that intangible investments are sensitive to the regulatory framework, the availability of skills and the level of research and development (R&D).