On November 13 and 14, a significant meeting took place between Czech officials and representatives of the French business community. Ernest-Antoine Seillière, president of MEDEF (French Confederation of Business Organizations), and a delegation from 40 major companies, including Accor, Alcatel, Bull, Electricité de France, Air Liquide, Eutesat, L'Oréal, Pernod Ricard, Alstom, and PSA Peugeot Citroën, met with Czech Prime Minister Vladimír Åpidla; Minister of Industry and Trade Milan Urban; President of the Confederation of Czech Industry Stanislav Kázeckő; and representatives of Komercní Banka.
Until 2000, French direct investment in the Czech Republic represented only 5% of all foreign investment. However, the two most significant privatization projects undertaken in recent years propelled France to fourth place in the ranking of largest investors. These projects were Société Générale's acquisition of Komercní Banka and Vivendi/Anglian Water's acquisition of Prańské vodovody a kanalizace (Prague Canal).
Currently, there are approximately 400 French-owned companies operating in the Czech Republic, ranging from large corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). According to a study conducted by the French Embassy last year, only 8% of French companies in the Czech Republic employ more than 500 workers, while the majority (70%) have fewer than 100 employees. The significant presence of SMEs is due to logistical reasons: the distance between Paris and Prague is roughly the same as the distance between Nice and the French capital.
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