La inversión extranjera directa en los países del Maghreb en el marco de la Asociación Euromediterránea : ¿el eslabón perdido?

Abstract

One of the main expected benefits from the establishment of the Euromediterranean Partnership in the 1995 between the European Union and 12 Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries was sizeable increase in foreign direct investment into the later. Moreover, FDI is a key link for the success of the overall development strategies implemented in those countries in the last 15 years, and to face the economic and social costs of the future Euromediterranean Free Trade Area. However, five years thereafter this FDI increase has not come forward in the Maghreb countries (Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia). The article offers an analytical framework of the drivers of FDI in Maghreb countries which allows us to explore its future evolution within different scenarios. The conclusion is that only market integration between the three countries and proactive FDI promoting strategies complementing market liberalisation within the framework of the Euromediterranean Partnership could boost FDI levels in the region.