Poland best investment destination in Central Europe

Foreign investors continue to perceive Poland as the most attractive location for new projects in Central and Eastern Europe, according to Ernst&Young's latest European attractiveness survey. In 2013 Poland was third in Europe in terms of jobs created thanks to foreign direct investment (FDI), according to the consulting company, Ernst&Young's (E&Y) 12th report presented on Tuesday at the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PAIiIZ) in Warsaw. As far as investment attractiveness in the central part of Europe is concerned, Poland came first (with 31 percent of respondents saying it is the best location for new projects), followed by the Czech Republic (11 percent) and Romania (9 percent). Country image, level of trust, perception of a given country and its capacity to ensure good conditions for FDI development were among the factors considered. "Today investors come to Poland because we are able to perform jobs requiring high qualifications and to make advanced products," deputy Economy Minister Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik remarked. Poland attracted 107 new foreign investments in 2013, placing the country 10th in Europe. In terms of new jobs generated, Poland maintained its third place in Europe where it was followed by Britain and France. FDI in Poland in 2013 generated 13,862 jobs, up 6 percent on the previous year. In Europe as a whole, FDI-generated employment dropped by 2 percent. Poland was best in the European Union and second in Europe, after Serbia, in terms of project size, with one foreign investment in Poland generating an average 130 jobs (Serbia - over 190 jobs per project). More than half of the FDI projects in Poland were in industry, chiefly the automotive and plastics sectors, according to E&Y. The E&Y survey was carried out in late January and early February 2014 among some 800 decision-makers from multinational companies.