Romania and Bulgaria, the only new EU countries with foreign investments increases in 2013

Foreign direct investments (FDI) in Central, East and Southeast Europe were hit by deleveraging, and the 11 newest EU member nations saw their FDIs drop by an average of almost two thirds, according to the latest FDI analysis conducted by the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW). Of these countries, only Romania and Bulgaria saw FDI increases, of 27.4 percent and 2.1 percent respectively. The five main countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) saw considerable FDI increases of over 25 percent, while Western Balkans countries saw a more moderate FDI increase of 2 percent. The overall decline for the 11 new member states was of 64.5 percent, according to the report. Romania had an FDI inflow per capita of some EUR 136, and a stock of EUR 2.6 billion. The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies forecasts Romania's foreign direct investments to reach EUR 3 billion in 2014, less than half of Polan'd projected EUR 7 billion, and below the estimation for the Czech Republic, of EUR 4 billion. Full data from the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, here. Foreign direct investments totaled EUR 570 million in the first quarter of this year in Romania, a growth by a third year-on-year. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com