Deslocalizaciones : ¿mito o realidad? El caso español frente a los países de Europa central y oriental

The phenomenon of relocation is attracting the attention of the media in the developed countries, which presents it as a threat to economic activity and the level of employment in those countries. However, so far the specialized literature does not perceive it as a phenomenon whose quantitative dimension is commensurate with the worry that it arouses. In this work we intend to evaluate the real magnitude of the phenomenon and to provide elements that can help us in gauging which issues are really at stake with relocation. The analyses are usually carried out from the point of view of countries affected, either positively or negatively, by the relocation. Thus, we approach the issues of location by studying a specific case: the relocation from Spain towards the new member states of the European Union. This exercise gives us some interesting elements to discuss the questions raised above. The issues, as we shall see, go beyond seeking the efficiency on the part of the companies and are related to the relationships of power in the international scenario.