It is widely recognised that foreign direct investment (FDI) may have an important role to play in the transformation of the formerly centrally planned economies of Central and Eastern Europe. FDI provides a vital source of investment for modernising the industrial structure of these countries and for improving the quality and reliability of infrastructure. In addition new investments may also bring badly needed skills and technologies into the host economy. Evidence from joint ventures in Hungary (Lane, 1994) shows that such firms had a higher propensity to trade and invest than purely indigenous firms. Total FDI inflows into Hungary between 1991–93 were equivalent to 25 per cent of total fixed domestic capital formation (UINDTCI, 1995).
The European Economic Community originally came into existence following the Treaty of Rome in 1957. Member states planned to harmonise their tariffs, pursue a common trade policy and liberalise intra-Community trade. All internal customs duties and quantitative restrictions on trade were successfully removed by 1968. However it subsequently became clear that this had not resulted in the full integration of product markets in Europe, with capital movements and trade continuing to be restricted by capital controls and non-tariff barriers. In the mid-1980s the European Commission identified around 300 areas in which legislative action could be taken to help the free flow of goods, services, capital and labour within the community. This led to the Single European Act in 1986 which aimed to complete the internal market by the end of 1992.
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