PORTUGAL'S 2007 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT

UNCLAS LISBON 000503 SIPDIS SIPDIS TREASURY FOR DO/JWALLACE USDOC FOR ITA/SMATHEWS USTR FOR DWEINER OPIC FOR RO'SULLIVAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EINV EFIN ETRD ELAB KTDB PGOV PO SUBJECT: PORTUGAL'S 2007 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT REF: STATE 178303 ¶1. The following is Portugal's submission for the 2007 Investment Climate Statement: ¶A. Openness to Foreign Investment -------------- Portugal offers a favorable investment climate for foreign capital, both in the near and long term. Its economy has become increasingly diversified and service-based since the country joined the European Community in 1986. On January 1, 2002, Portugal adopted the Euro as its official curreny, further integrating itself with the European Union's financial and economic policies. Prime Minister Jose Socrates, who took office in 2005, has made opening Portugal's economy to foreign investment a key priority. Government Promotion Agencies: The key agency leading Portugal's economic development policy is API (Invest in Portugal Agency). API is a public company with a public equity of 110 million Euros and acts as a single point of contact for investors with projects over 25 million Euros or companies with a consolidated turnover superior to 75 million Euros. For foreign investments not meeting these requirements, API will make a preliminary analysis and direct the investor to the appropriate investment assistance agency or program. API has published an "Investor's Guide" in Portugal, which includes a description of the legal and institutional framework for investments, as well as a section on incentives, venture capital and mutual guarantees, and fiscal incentives. This guide is available in Portuguese and in English, on the website: http://www.investinportugal.pt. Portugal's trade promotion agency, ICEP is planning to merge with API in the near future. The new institution will be named AICEP - Agncia para o Investimento e Comrcio Externo de Portugal (Portuguese Agency for Foreign Investment and Commerce). Government Policies - General: According to the Bank of Portugal, foreign direct investment is defined as an act or contract that obtains or increases enduring economic links with an existing Portuguese institution or one to be formed. Foreign direct investment is thus all investment made by a non-resident of, at least, 10% of a resident company's equity, provided that the direct investor possess effective decision power. Foreigners are permitted to establish themselves in all economic sectors open to private enterprise. Currently, however, Portuguese government approval is required for non-EU investment in the following sectors: defense industry, water management, public service telecommunications operators, railways, and maritime transportation. Also, Portugal restricts non-EU investment in regular air transport to 49 percent. Finance/Insurance: Investors wishing to establish new credit institutions or finance companies, acquire a controlling interest in such financial firms, and or establish a subsidiary must have authorization from the Bank of Portugal (for EU firms) or the Ministry of Finance (for non-EU firms). In both cases, the authorities take prudential considerations into account, but in the case of non-EU firms, the Ministry of Finance also considers the impact on the efficiency of the financial system and the internationalization of the economy. Non-EU insurance companies seeking to establish an agency in Portugal must post a special deposit and financial guarantee and must have been authorized for such activity for at least five years. Foreign Workers: Foreigners who want to work in Portugal must obtain a work permit and a residence permit. EU workers must obtain a residence card for EU nationals but are not required to have work permits. Non-EU workers are required to have both a residence visa and a work permit. According to Decree-law 34/2003 API can recommend the granting of a work permit to a non-EU national when the worker is essential to national economy, possesses highly qualified competencies or his/her work is of relevant scientific interest to the country. In the past, the Ministry of Health has allowed serious arrears to develop in payments for goods and services used in the government's health program. These delays have cut into the profitability of U.S. companies working in the health field, especially pharmaceuticals. U.S. firms are not discriminated against compared to Portuguese or other foreign firms with regard to timeliness of payments. ¶B. Conversion and Transfer Policies -------------- Portugal maintains no current or capital account restrictions. On January 1, 1999, Portugal and ten other European countries formed the European Monetary Union. On January 1, 2002, Portugal adopted the Euro as its official currency, replacing the Portuguese Escudo which is no longer in circulation. ¶C. Expropriation and Compensation -------------- There have been no cases of expropriation of foreign assets or companies in Portugal in recent history, nor is there concern for future expropriation. ¶D. Dispute Settlement -------------- The Portuguese legal system is slow and deliberate, with many cases taking years to resolve. In an effort to address this problem, the government introduced reforms in litigation procedures and public administration in 2004. These reforms are intended to reduce delays in the justice system and improve its effectiveness by reorganizing the court system and redefining the division of power. The reform also establishes new rules for management within the judicial system. ¶E. Performance Requirements and Incentives -------------- As an incentive for both national and foreign companies, Portugal reduced its corporate income tax (IRC) for net profit from 30% to 25%, and set the municipal surcharge to no greater than 2.5% of taxable profit. Rates vary from municipality to municipality. Other tax regimes are in place for the country's autonomous regions, the islands of the Azores and Madeira. The Portuguese Government also offers several incentive packages tailored to investors' needs and investment capital. Details about the programs are available on the API website at: http://www.investinportugal.pt. For example, under Portugal's investment incentive regime, API - Invest in Portugal Agency - is empowered to negotiate a tailored incentives package for large investment projects on a case-by-case basis, including tax cuts and subsidized or interest-free loans as well as cash grants. Large-scale investment projects are all investment projects exceeding 25 million Euros, within a period of three years, or those promoted by a company, or group of companies with a total turnover superior to 75 million Euros. The goal of the program is to leverage investments for proposed projects that support the government's economic development goals. API hopes to use the program to address Portugal's long-term competitiveness issues, including human resources, and to promote Portugal's own brands and patents, in the industrial, energy, construction, transport, tourism, commerce and services sectors. For more information: http://www.planotecnologico.pt ¶F. Right to Private Ownership and Establishment -------------- -- Private Ownership/Enterprise: Private ownership is limited to 49 percent in the following sectors: basic sanitation (except waste treatment),international air transport, railways, ports, arms and weapons manufacture, and airports. The government requires private firms to obtain concessions, contracts, and licenses to operate in a number of sectors (public service television, waste distribution, waste treatment),but grants these on a non-discriminatory basis. Foreign firms have the right to establish themselves in all economic sectors open to private enterprise. Foreign investments affecting public health, order or security, or relating to the arms industry, require approval of the competent authorities. Competitive Equality: Law No.18/2003, of June 6, 2003, governs protection and promotion of competition in Portugal. It specifically outlaws collusion between companies to fix prices, limit supplies, share markets or sources of supply, discriminate in transactions, or force unrelated obligations on other parties. Similar prohibitions apply to any company or group with a dominant market position. The law also requires prior government notification of mergers or acquisitions which would serve to give one company more than 30 percent market share in one sector or among entities which had total sales in excess of 150 million Euros in the preceding financial year. The Competition Authority has 60 days to determine if the merger or acquisition can proceed. The European Commission may claim authority on cross-border competition issues or those involving entities large enough to have a significant EU market share. Privatization Program: Portugal has engaged in a wide-ranging privatization program that sold off 100 enterprises and generated approximately $14 billion in revenues in its first ten years of existence. Privatization involves the sale of government shares in state-owned companies, typically in a series of share offerings. These share offerings often include private transactions, usually to attract a "strategic partner" as an equity holder, and public offerings. Major privatizations in recent years included sales of interest in Portugal Telecom (telecommunications),EDP (electricity),and GALP (petroleum refining and marketing, natural gas distribution). Firms, which are expected to be privatized in the near future, include TAP (Airline) and REN (Electricity Transmission System Operator). In some cases, the process of identifying and selecting strategic partners has not been transparent. In one recent high-profile case, the GOP's parastatal holding company, Parpblica, was to choose a new strategic partner for a state company in a resale of its privately held shares. There was no formal tender issued, and bidders participated by invitation of the GOP. Parpblica chose, as a strategic partner, a Portuguese company with no other activities in that industrial sector. The U.S. bidder, whose consortium did include a Portuguese company with activities in that sector, was not short-listed. ¶G. Protection of Property Rights -------------- The government adopted the trade-related intellectual property (TRIPS) provisions of GATT in 2003. Portuguese legislation for the protection of intellectual property rights has been consistent with WTO rules and EU directives since 2004. Portugal is a participant in the E-MAGE project, an Internet based service, which provides multilingual access to databases of trademarks and industrial designs. This international cooperation helps customs authorities prevent sales of counterfeit goods. Other countries involved include France, Austria, Hungary and Spain. Trademark Protection: Portugal is a member of the International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property (WIPO) and a party to the Madrid Agreement on International Registration of Trademarks and Prevention of the Use of False Origins. Portugal's current trademark law entered into force on June 1, 1995. The law, however, is not considered to be entirely consistent with TRIPS. Copyright Protection: Portugal is finishing the process of adopting EU directives in the form of national legislation. Most recently, the country adopted the EU Directive on protection of databases (Decree Law 122/2000, July 4, 2000). However, software piracy remains a problem. Patent Protection: Currently, Portugal's patent protection is governed by the Code of Industrial Property that went into effect on June 1, 1995. In 1996, new legislation was passed to extend the life of then-valid patents to 20 years, consistent with the provisions of TRIPS. A new industrial property code, designed to bring Portugal into full conformity with EU and international norms, came into effect at the beginning of 2003. Portugal, like other European countries, grants health (FDA-equivalent) approval to market new drug products without crosschecking for existing products with unexpired patent protection already in the market. This forces companies to pursue redress through the court system, an expensive and time-consuming process. U.S. pharmaceutical companies have brought a number of cases before Portuguese tribunals for the violation of patent rights by Portuguese companies. One U.S. owned pharmaceutical company has won five cases, and has several more pending. ¶H. Transparency of Regulatory System -------------- Businesses frequently complain about red tape with regards to registering companies, filing taxes, receiving value-added tax refunds and importing materials. Decision-making tends to be centralized and obtaining government approvals/permits can be time-consuming and costly. A process of appeals for administrative complaints and litigation was introduced in 2004 to reduce delays in the justice system and improve its effectiveness. The program has alleviated many of the requirements for company licensing and reduced the length of time required to incorporate a company. In addition, notarial services were also privatized in 2004. The government initiated the rapidly expanding "Empresa na Hora" (Business in an Hour) program in 2005 to facilitate navigation of the bureaucracy of starting a business. To date, over 1200 businesses are using the have been established between July and December 30, 2005 using this program. More information can be found at Empresa na Hora's website at http://www.empresanahora.pt. ¶I. Efficient Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment -------------- -------------- One result of Portugal's participation in the European Monetary Union is the country's increasing integration into a European-wide financial market. As a member of the Euro-zone, Portugal offers low exchange rate risk for foreign investors, interest rates comparable to other EU countries and a greater availability of credit. In addition to bank lending, the private sector has access to a variety of credit instruments, including bonds. Legal, regulatory, and accounting systems are consistent with international norms. The Portuguese capital markets code (the CVM) came into effect on March 1, 2000, and has rationalized and streamlined Portuguese capital markets legislation. The Lisbon stock market is part of Euronext, which also includes the Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam markets. Portugal has about 50 banking institutions. The largest five bank groups, however, accounted for a majority of the sector's total assets. Nevertheless, Portugal's bank sector is still undergoing consolidation in order to create banks large enough to compete in the European market. The country's largest bank, Caixa Geral de Depositos (CGD),is controlled by the Portuguese government. Despite recent economic challenges, the financial sector continues to perform well. In addition to banks and stock markets, Portugal has taken specific steps to ensure that the financial needs of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are met. Portugal's Institute for Supporting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Investment (IAPMEI) has a program of mutual guarantees so that SMEs do not have to use their assets or those of their shareholders to collateralize debt. The companies pay an initial evaluation fee and an annual fee equal to 0.75-3.00 percent of the guarantee. IAPMEI has also supported the creation of venture capital funds and venture capital companies, which will channel capital to SMEs. Of the 25.3 billion Euros in projects to date under the government's 2000-2006 program to support Portugal's economic development (POE and PRIME from 2002 onwards),14.6 billion Euros has been invested in 13,794 projects approved by these Programs. For more information on PRIME, visit the homepage at http://www.prime.min-economia.pt. Steps have been taken to improve the educational and vocational training programs in Portugal, in hopes of improving education attainment and labor productivity, which lag behind the EU-15 average. ¶J. Political Violence -------------- There have been no incidents involving politically motivated damage to projects and/or installations. Potentially destructive civil disturbances are not likely. ¶K. Corruption -------------- Corruption is a relatively limited aspect of the business culture in Portugal. Although U.S. firms occasionally encounter limited degrees of corruption in the course of doing business in Portugal, they generally are able to manage it and do not identify corruption as an obstacle to foreign direct investment. In Transparency International's 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index, Portugal ranked 26th out of 163 countries considered (listed from least to most corrupt). The U.S. was ranked 20th. Portugal has ratified the OECD Anti-bribery Convention and recently passed legislation to bring its criminal code in compliance with the Convention. Tax evasion remains a problem for the government, which has implemented several initiatives to improve collection rates. The Socrates Administration is undertaking steps to address the limited degrees of corruption that businesses, both U.S. and other, face in Portugal. ¶L. Bilateral Investment Agreements -------------- http://www.apinvest.pt/ ¶M. OPIC and Other Investment Insurance Programs -------------- -- Portugal is a country with low political risk, and the potential for significant OPIC insurance programs in Portugal is limited. Portugal is a member of the Multinational Investment Guarantee Authority (MIGA) of the World Bank. ¶N. Labor -------------- A package of labor reform laws took effect in 2003 permitting greater geographic and functional mobility for employers. The labor code limits the role of unions and makes it more difficult for workers to strike. It also addresses absenteeism and fraudulent leave. However, low productivity and difficulty in firing workers continue to hamper Portugal's ability to attract foreign investment. Labor strikes and work stoppages in Portugal, as in much of Europe, are more common than in the United States. Most strikes, however, are of short duration. In the past two years, work stoppages have been more common among public sector workers, including the transportation sector, than in the private sector. Portugal is a member of the International Labor Organization and adheres to the ILO Conventions Protecting Labor Rights. Portugal ratified ILO Convention 138, which establishes a minimum employment age of 15 for all economic sectors. As of January 1, 1997, the minimum working age in Portugal is 16, thereby exceeding the ILO norm. Unemployment: Portugal's 2006 unemployment rate was 7.3%, lower than the EU-25 average of 7.6%. The outlook for job creation, although low, has improved recently with the government having taken steps to improve educational and vocational training programs to improve labor productivity which consistently lag behind the EU-25 average. ¶O. Foreign-Trade Zones/Free Ports -------------- Portugal has two foreign trade zones/free ports in the autonomous regions of the islands of Madeira and the Azores. These foreign trade zones/free ports were authorized in conformity with EU rules or incentives granted to member states. Industrial and commercial activities, international service activities, trust and trust management companies and offshore financial branches are eligible activities. Companies established in the foreign trade zones enjoy import/export-related benefits, financial incentives, tax incentives for investors and tax incentives for companies. The Madeira free trade zone has approximately 6500 registered companies. Under the terms of Portugal's agreements with the EU, companies in the Madeira FTZ can take full advantage of the tax incentives provided until December 2011, when those incentives will begin to be phased out. ¶P. Foreign Direct Investment flows into Portugal -------------- --- http://www.apinvest.pt/ ¶Q. Portuguese Trade with the U.S. -------------- http://www.census.gov/ ¶R. Major Foreign Direct Investors -------------- Selected Major Foreign Investors in Portugal: http://www.apinvest.pt/ ¶S. Web Resources -------------- Bank of Portugal: http://www.bancoportugal.pt Invest in Portugal Agency: http://www.investinportugal.pt Empresa na Hora: http://www.empresanahora.pt PRIME: http://www.prime.min-economia.pt EUROSTAT: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat U.S. Census: http://www.census.gov Technological Plan: www.planotecnologico.pt/ Hoffman