The international integration of national economies is a dominant feature of the present time. This book brings together papers on the determinants and consequences of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the real and financial sectors of industrial countries. It sheds new light on the determinants of FDI, in particular the role of governmental incentives. Another main topic of this volume is the role of FDI in the east European accession countries. It provides insights into the question of whether EU enlargement will have consequences for capital flows into those countries. Since the start of European monetary union the discussion on cross-border mergers in the European banking industry has intensified. The final part of the book contains contributions to this debate.