The European Commission  (DG Growth) has asked Copenhagen Economics to identify the main drivers of FDI into the EU and construct an FDI Attractiveness Scoreboard that can be used to benchmark individual countries on their attractiveness. Foreign investors chose the Czech Republic due to relatively low wage costs, well-educated, English-speaking labour force, cultural similarities with Western Europe, good digital infrastructure and political stability, the report shows, but the country could improve its innovation capacity, among others.

On 7 September 2016, seven leading trade associations – the American Chamber of Commerce to the EU, CLECAT, EuroCommerce, the European Express Association, the Foreign Trade Association, the International Air Transport Association and the World Shipping Council – called on EU institutions to enhance the competitiveness of business and boost trade through more coordinated border management, additional benefits for economic operators and a harmonised implementation of the new Union Customs Code (UCC) among the EU’s Member States.