-United Kingdom: according to information published in a report by the Invest UK agency, the United Kingdom remains the European country that receives the most foreign investment, despite a clear fall in the rest of the world (more than 50%). The United Kingdom's damage limitation exercise was kept to a 12% fall compared to last year, indicates the report. 764 projects and 34,000 jobs compared to 869 projects and 71,500 new jobs in 2000. The British Ministry for Trade and Industry, Patricia Hewitt puts this general fall down to a reduction in the activity of the high technology sector. Nevertheless, after the USA, the United Kingdom remained the second largest recipient of foreign investment in 2001 and the first in Europe. Invest UK notes a slight increase in investments from Japan and Korea. The largest European investors in the UK are France and Germany, with 50 operations each - 16% more than in 2000, France creating more than 5000 jobs and Germany 2200. These two countries are rated fourth in the world after the USA (288 projects), Japan (60 projects) and Canada (55 projects). During the first half of 2002, investments were at a record 351.3 bn, an increase of 10% on the same period last year, indicates Invest UK. - Brazil: During the first five months of the year, the Netherlands were the largest investors in Brazil, beating the USA and Spain which are traditionally leaders in this area. Between January and May of this year, the Netherlands invested USD 1.727 bn in this South American country - a 112% increase on the same period in 200. Following behind the Netherlands are the Caiman Islands with USD 1.167 invested (+70,6%), according to Brazilian Central Bank statistics. The USA comes next and were the biggest investors in 1997, 1999 and 2001, with investments of USD 1.103 bn. Spain was the main investor in 1998 and 2000 but drops down to seventh place with investments at USD 224 million - a fall of 85.7% compared to the same period last year. According to analysts, the fall of investments from the USA in Brazil is mainly due to the general slowdown in its economy, whereas the fall in Spanish interest is essentially down to the Argentinean crisis.