Also in the news...
Prove your English language abilities with a secure English language test (SELT)
For visa or citizenship applications, you may need to prove your knowledge of English by passing a secure English language test (SELT).
UK and Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership arrangement
The Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP) sets out the UK and Nigeria’s priorities for future discussion and cooperation.
Export to the UK: guidance for African businesses
Find out about UK markets and sectors, trade agreements, UK import regulations and taxes, and support for African businesses from the UK government.
Guidance Start exporting to Africa
Find out about market opportunities, trade partnership agreements, support from the UK government, and export regulations and taxes in African countries.
Guidance Start investing in African businesses
Find out about investment opportunities and support from the UK government. Learn how to manage risk, invest ethically, and access guidance on African countries.
Emerging Europe
Emerging Europe offers opportunities for all UK companies ranging from novice to experienced exporters, and across multiple sectors.
Emerging Europe is made up of 11 markets and over 120 million consumers located in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
This region offers:
- increasingly affluent consumers
- economic growth at double the rate of western Europe
- widespread use of the English language
- low risk compared with other Emerging Markets further from the UK
- easy accessibility from the UK – just 2 to 3 hours flying time on low cost airlines
UK exports are worth over £16 billion, with goods exports doubling over the past decade, and services exports - over £4 billion - trebling.
What is Emerging Europe?
Markets of Emerging Europe are at differing stages of development, but all offer long-term growth prospects for UK companies. The markets are:
- Austria
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Poland
- Romania
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
Benefits of doing business in Emerging Europe
The markets offer UK companies a number of advantages including:
- ease of developing business relationships as located close to UK with access via large number of budget airlines
- ideal for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on tight budgets
- supply chain opportunities in support of strategically important industries
- opportunities resulting from £170 billion European Union (EU) Structural and Cohesion funds for 2014 to 2020
- UK’s positive image as a reliable business partner and increasingly as a source of innovative products and services and new technology