David Appia, Ambassador for International Investment, Chairman and CEO, Invest in France

Investment is central to France’s response to the global economic crisis and the challenges of sustainable growth. France’s stimulus plan launched in late 2008 focused on a thousand projects to boost growth and competitiveness. The “national loan” bond issue decided upon in 2009 will allow €35 billion to be invested in university education and facilities, scientific and technological research, industrial policy, the digital economy, and sustainable development.

At the same time, investment is being supported in France by the series of reforms which have been initiated since 2007 to improve the competitiveness of the economy, including: the exemption of overtime hours from tax and social security contributions; the introduction of the “auto entrepreneur” regime; and the possibility of terminating work contracts by mutual consent, which have all helped to make the labor market more flexible.