As percentage of total fees invoiced. 3 with the value of imports 14 million. The net trade balance was 54 million. Procurement rules are harmonised in the EU so there are no barriers in the tendering and competition for projects. Outside Europe such barriers may exist.
Ethnic minorities are also under-represented.
There is evidence in the last few years of a steady increase in the number of salaried architects 9 while sole principals remained static. This may have to do with the growth of larger practices and marketing development, and can perhaps be seen in the context of the current healthy state of the construction industry. A number of other activities use the work of architects, most commonly town planning, landscape architecture and lecturing. A growing number of architects are also involved in a range of consultancy services in fields such as historic buildings. The highest proportion of sole practitioners, however, can be found in England in East Anglia and the South West.