EN
As one of four freedoms of the internal market, free movement of capital was introduced in the European Union as a prerequisite for the economic and monetary union. The process of liberalization of capital transactions started already in the 1960s, but was accomplished only in the 1990s. Foreign direct investments are one of the forms of movement of capital within the EU. One can say that the twenty years of the functioning of the EU’s internal market were full of changes, in both value and importance to the economy, of intra EU direct inward investments. Despite the pressure from increasing investment attractiveness of the Far East and further globalisation, EU entrepreneurs still express an interest in investing in the internal market. Moreover, the accession to the EU of the weaker and cheaper New Member States supported the internal market as a relatively attractive area for investors from the EU. However, the period of economic crisis was immediately reflected in a decrease in interest of EU investors in the internal market of the EU.