Foreign direct investment totaled over EUR 2 billion in the first half of the year, up 22.7% over the same period last year, according to Romania’s National Bank (BNR).

The equity investments, which include capital increases and reinvested profits, reached EUR 1.56 billion whereas the intra-group loans amounted to EUR 475 million.

About 2,700 new companies with foreign capital were registered in the first six months of this year, down 12% year-on-year. The value of their share capital reached EUR 17.6 million. Most companies were set up in March, namely 509.

In total, Romania saw over 204,000 companies with a foreign capital registered between 1991 and 2015, with a capital of over EUR 42.8 billion. Over 42,000 of them had Italian capital. However, the biggest source of foreign capital to Romania was the Netherlands. Companies registered in the Netherlands have invested some EUR 8.4 billion in 4,600 Romanian firms, according to data from the Trade Registry’s Office – ONRC.

editor@romania-insider.com