In the 21st century and under conditions of a globalized economic environment, Foreign Direct Investments have become the key source of financing for both developed and developing countries. New electronic communication technologies enhance Investments, and in particular Investments in services, and provide the capital and technology required to make the provision of financial services more efficient, improving thus the competitiveness of host countries by helping them reach the right equilibrium between their micro- and macro- economic development objectives. Moreover, the offshoring that results from the Multinational Enterprises’ investment activities further facilitates the integration of developing countries into the global financial markets, and explains why the regulation of both investments and services is increasingly reflected in the international policy agenda – ranging from liberalisation to regulation on both national and international level.

Consequently, the overriding challenge for all the actors involved, International Organisations, States and Multinational Enterprises, is to create an international economic environment that will help developing countries strike such a balance, so as to reap the benefits of globalisation. Within this international context, where the importance of financial services and their impact on the international flow and volume of Foreign Direct Investments are acknowledged, comes the present book to examine the regulation of Foreign Direct Investments under International, European and Greek law, making a special reference to the regulation of financial services’ investments. The book introduces the notions inherent in international economic relations, namely Foreign Direct Investments, financial services’ investments and Multinational Enterprises, and familiarizes the reader with the relative international, European and Greek institutions and provisions.