EUROVOC descriptor: international trade economic indicator service industry direct investment foreign investment Eurostat EU statistics data transmission balance of payments quality standard data collection

An investment entity may provide investment-related services (eg investment advisory services, investment management, investment support and administrative services), either directly or through a subsidiary, to third parties as well as to its investors, even if those activities are substantial to the entity.

A number of Community instruments need to be amended, according to the specific procedures applicable to them, before transition to NACE Rev. 2, namely: Council Regulation (EC) No 2223/96 of 25 June 1996 on the European system of national and regional accounts in the Community (16); Regulation (EC) No 138/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 December 2003 on the economic accounts for agriculture in the Community (17); and Regulation (EC) No 184/2005 of the European Parliament and the Council of 12 January 2005 on Community statistics concerning balance of payments, international trade in services and foreign direct investment ...[+++] (18).

This is the reason for the relatively large share of business-related services in foreign direct investment (66 % of total inward and outward investments); with business services (34 % of foreign direct investments in business-related services) and financial and insurance services (30 %) as the dominant sectors.

Due to the importance of presence in the local market, foreign direct investments in the services area are of relatively greater importance than within manufacturing industries, and statistical information concerning foreign direct investment (also allowing for splitting up into green-field investments and investments in existing enterprises) and other cross border enterprise relations are highly in demand.

International trade in services statistics and foreign investment statistics (theme 54).