Foreign Direct Investment in the European Community: Some Policy Issues

Abstract

This paper analyzes three policy issues associated with foreign direct investment flows in the European Community. First, we find that recent FDI flows raise concerns that the technology of EC firms might be sourced by foreign competitors. Second, we analyze appropriate institutions to settle international conflicts in the control of foreign direct investment, in particular regarding foreign acquisitions. We conclude that if centralization is adequate to deal with external effects within the EC, an agreement on rules to allocate jurisdiction might suffice to deal with potential conflicts with third countries. Finally, we discuss the role of European competition policy in monitoring the intervention of member states towards FDI; we find that current subsidies to attract investment are not excessive in the presence of strong distortions in the labor market. Copyright 1993 by Oxford University Press.(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)