The EU Council announced that it has adopted a change in European rules for the screening of foreign investments and their possible implications for security and public order. It is planned that in the future, EU countries will unify the scope of these inspections in sensitive areas, BTA reports.
The changes will affect the screening of foreign investments in technology and infrastructure, including dual-use items and military equipment, critical raw materials, artificial intelligence, energy, transport and digital infrastructure. This will also apply to investments by foreign companies through subsidiaries registered in the EU.
In 2020, the first European legislation on the assessment of foreign investments was adopted, but so far there have been differences in scope, thresholds, deadlines and procedures, the EU Council noted in a statement.
Threats to key infrastructure, dependencies on supply chains and the rapid development of dual-use technologies have shown the need to change the legislation, the statement added.