FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS IN ROMANIA AFTER EU ADHESION
T he aim of the present paper is to analyse the evolution of the foreign direct investments (FDI) attracted by Romania between 2007 and present, taking into consideration the fact that there were two main determinants during this period: Romania’s adhesion to European Union and the economic and financial crisis. Considering these aspects, the main objectives of the paper are to identify the way in which the FDI evolved in the period immediately after EU adhesion, by the sectors of activity, and to determine the impact of the economic crisis on the FDI attracted by Romania. In order to achieve these objectives, we have collected, tabulated and interpreted the data included in various statistical reports and databases. The results show that the relatively low unit labour cost, fiscal facilities, geographical location, large internal market and the adhesion to the EU made Romania become one of the most attractive countries from the Central and Eastern Europe for the foreign investors. However, the economic and financial crisis influenced the country’s development and, implicitly, the evolution of the foreign direct investments inflows, especially after 2009. Therefore, in Romania there was a negative trend of the FDI during the last three years, with slight signs of improvement in the end of 2011.