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Foreign direct investment into transition economies: Are the Balkans different?

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  • Saul Estrin
  • Milica Uvalic

Abstract

The paper explores the determination of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Balkan transition economies – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania and Serbia. Detailed FDI inflows to Southeast Europe (SEE) are analysed to determine the main differences in the volume, timing and sectoral structure of FDI within the region and in comparison to the Central East European countries. A gravity model to all transition economies during 1990-2011 is then estimated to assess whether the factors driving FDI to the Western Balkans are different. They are found to be so; even when size of their economy, distance, institutional quality and prospects of EU membership are taken into account, Western Balkans countries receive less FDI. These issues are of high policy relevance for the Balkan economies and ought to contribute to the current debate on the ‘new growth model’.

Suggested Citation

  • Saul Estrin & Milica Uvalic, 2013. "Foreign direct investment into transition economies: Are the Balkans different?," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 64, European Institute, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:eiq:eileqs:64
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    File URL: http://www.lse.ac.uk/europeanInstitute/LEQS/LEQSPaper64.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Monastiriotis, Vassilis, 2014. "Origin of FDI and domestic productivity spillovers: does European FDI have a 'productivity advantage' in the ENP countries?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 55267, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Amir Fejzić, 2017. "Sectorial Composition Of Foreign Direct Investment And Growth: The Case Of The See-5," Ekonomske ideje i praksa, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, issue 24, pages 87-116, March.
    3. Allen, Matthew M.C. & Allen, Maria L., 2015. "Companies’ Access to Finance, Co-operative Industrial Relations, and Economic Growth: A Comparative Analysis of the States of South Eastern Europe," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 167-177.
    4. Llesh Lleshaj & Arben Malaj, 2016. "The Impact of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) on Economic Growth: The Solow Model in the Case of Albania," European Journal of Economics and Business Studies Articles, Revistia Research and Publishing, vol. 2, January -.
    5. Catalin Angelo Ioan, 2018. "Analysis of Natural Movement of Romanian Population During 2007-2014 - IV," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 14(1), pages 243-254, FEBRUARY.
    6. Peter Howard-Jones & Jens Hölscher & Dragana Radicic, 2017. "Firm Productivity In The Western Balkans: The Impact Of European Union Membership And Access To Finance," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 62(215), pages 7-52, October –.
    7. Romeo-Victor Ionescu, 2017. "New Challenges for the Balkan Economies in the Context of the European Union," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 13(4), pages 39-52, AUGUST.
    8. Romeo-Victor Ionescu, 2015. "Eu Balkan Member States’ Catching Up Process In The Context Of Europe 2020 Strategy," Annals of University of Craiova - Economic Sciences Series, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 2(43), pages 43-56.
    9. Monastiriotis, Vassilis, 2016. "Institutional proximity and the size and geography of FDI spillovers: do European firms generate more favourable productivity spillovers in the EU neighbourhood?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 66141, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    10. Mirella Damiani & Milica Uvalic, 2014. "Industrial Development in the EU: What Lessons for the Future Member States?," Croatian Economic Survey, The Institute of Economics, Zagreb, vol. 16(1), pages 5-48, April.
    11. Marian Gorski & Patrycja Chodnicka-Jaworska, 2019. "The Process of Catching up with the Economic Development of OECD Countries and the Role of Foreign Direct Investment in this Process," Book, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, edition 1, volume 1, number y:2019:v:1:ch:8:p:165-186 edited by Justin Yifu Lin & Alojzy Z. Nowak, June.
    12. Merita Zulfiu Alili, 2014. "Simulation Analysis of the Effects of Increased Foreign Ownership on Wage Inequality," Academicus International Scientific Journal, Entrepreneurship Training Center Albania, issue 9, pages 140-158, January.
    13. Michal Mádr & Luděk Kouba, 2015. "The Impact of Institutional Environment on Inflows of Foreign Direct Investment in European Transition Economies and Latin American Countries [Vliv institucionálního prostředí na příliv přímých zah," Acta Oeconomica Pragensia, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2015(1), pages 45-60.
    14. Marijana Andrijic & Tajana Barbic, 2018. "Trick or Treat? The Effect of IMF Programmes on Mobilising FDI in CESEE Countries," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 68(3), pages 245-267, July.
    15. Vassilis Monastiriotis, 2016. "Institutional proximity and the size and geography of foreign direct investment spillovers: Do European firms generate more favourable productivity spillovers in the European Union neighbourhood?," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 34(4), pages 676-697, June.
    16. Stanojević Nataša, 2020. "Deglobalization of the World Economy and its Effects on the Western Balkan Countries," Economic Themes, Sciendo, vol. 58(3), pages 343-362, September.
    17. Balaban, Suzana & Živkov, Dejan & Milenković, Ivan, 2019. "Impact of an unexplained component of real exchange rate volatility on FDI: Evidence from transition countries," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 43(3).
    18. Ivana Durovic, 2017. "The effects of intercompany lending on the current account balances of selected economies in the Western Balkans," Public Sector Economics, Institute of Public Finance, vol. 41(4), pages 421-441.
    19. Stanić Stanko & Račić Željko V., 2019. "Analysis of Macroeconomic Factors Effect to Gross Domestic Product of Bosnia and Herzegovina Using the Multiple Linear Regression Model," Economics, Sciendo, vol. 7(2), pages 91-97, December.
    20. Petrit GASHI, 2017. "Free Trade and FDI in Kosovo: Prospects for Integration into the EU and Turkish Production Networks," Turkish Economic Review, KSP Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 86-95, March.
    21. W.M. Muli & J.O. Aduda, 2017. "The Mediating Effect of Ease of Doing Business on the Relationship between Economic Integration and Foreign Direct Investment in the East African Community," Journal of Finance and Investment Analysis, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 6(4), pages 1-2.
    22. Mehmed GANIĆ & Mahir HRNJIC, 2019. "Does a country’s business regulatory environment affect its attractiveness to FDI? Empirical evidence from Central and Southeast European countries," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 10, pages 89-105, December.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    foreign direct investment; Balkans; transition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P3 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity
    • F2 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business

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