50% of the European firms surveyed by Roland Berger …

…said they were looking to outsource in other European countries, compared with 37% targeting Asia, according to the following article in Time magazine. An interesting article with several other nice statistics such as the study carried out last June by German consulting firm Roland Berger which polled 500 top European companies, and found that 39% have already shifted some services abroad, and about 20% are planning to do so in the next year. “The fact is that we are in the foothills of a revolution”, says Stephen Green, chief executive of HSBC.

The article, a balanced lecture, mentions again Romania as a favourite outsourcing destination country. According to the article, France is planning to introduce a Call Center bill asking call centers operators working for the French citizens to state their location after answering the call, a measure that could threaten offshore call centers.

The French state is also open to offer tax subsides to discourage offshoring where possible. I don’t think European Commission will be happy to hear that, as state subsides have very strict application under EU law (eg. Ryanair scandal). Definitely, outsourcing is becoming a political issue in Europe lately. I believe that politicians should not forget that Ireland has been and still is a favorite outsourcing destination for major US companies, a positive thing for EU, Ireland and the companies involved, in the same manner Romania and all the new EU countries try to replicate.