ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A GOOD BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT?Slovenia lies right in the middle of one of the world's most exciting business regions. It sits on the intersection of several of Europe's historical crossroads. Transport by rail and road prevails over air traffic due to Slovenia’s short distances. And unlike many Central and Eastern European countries, Slovenia also has direct access to the sea through the Port of Koper 
. Ships coming into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal can save 5-10 days and up to 3,700 km by using the southern sea-route access to Central Europe.
On 1 January 2007 Slovenia adopted the euro as the national currency. The country entered the euro area with an exchange rate of 239.64 tolars to the euro, becoming the 13th member of the euro area, and the first of the ten 2004 EU newcomers, to adopt the common European currency.
Since gaining independence until the present day, Slovenia has made important progress in economic development and has achieved a higher standard of living. Economic growth was pursued in a stable macroeconomic environment, whilst the main factors of economic growth were high exports and investment activities, the latter particularly in the nineties. Thus, Slovenia managed to reduce the gap behind the EU average.
GDP at current prices: EUR 30.45 bn
GDP per capita: EUR 15,167
GDP growth rate: 5.7%
Exports of goods and services (growth): 12,3%
Imports of goods and services (growth): 12,2%
Inflation: 2.5%
Unemployment (ILO): 6.0%
The legislation in line with EU standards, the simplicity of starting a business, low taxes, the unrestricted transfer of profit and capital repatriation, the Government's pro-investment stance etc. have created a pro-business climate.
In a challenging business landscape, Slovenia is a prime investment location. Foreign investors choose Slovenia for a great variety of reasons. The most important are high business ethics and commitment to quality work , good ties with markets in Western and Southeastern Europe, a central position in Europe and excellent infrastructure, and last, but not least, quality of life . Austria remains the largest investor, followed by Germany, Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The Slovenian Government seeks to attract investment from other countries in order to bring greater diversity into Slovenian economy.
For historical reasons, Slovenia can be considered as a bridge to the countries of Southeastern Europe, especially Balkan countries, and therefore help open up new possibilities for cooperation.
Modern SLOVENIA and implementation of the Lisbon StrategyIn 2005, the Slovenian Government set out a Framework of Economic and Social Reforms to Increase Welfare in Slovenia, closely followed by two other fundamental documents – Slovenia’s Development Strategy and the Resolution on National Development Projects for the Period 2007-2023. With a host of clearly defined measures which are consistent with the goals of the Lisbon Strategy, the Government is working towards modernising the country. Virtually all Government ministries are involved in the process implemented, coordinated and monitored by the Government Office for Growth.
2007 Implementation Report of the Reform Programme for Achieving the Lisbon Strategy Goals 
In this context, increasing the competitiveness of the Slovenian economy Europe- and world-wide continues to be a priority for the Government. Particularly important in this respect are the tax reforms reducing the tax burden on companies. In addition, investors are entitled to benefits for investing in R&D equipment and various benefits related to employment. And of course, the financial incentives for foreign investment, available since 2000, should not be left out. New investment opportunities are opening up, especially in activities with higher added value, and the Government is already planning the larger national projects listed in the 2007-2023 development strategy, which are open also to foreign investors.
Resolution on National Development Projects for the Period 2007-2023 
