CELIS Blog
The CELIS Blog: Fueling the Conversation on Economic Security. The CELIS Blog is a unique forum for current debates on international investment control and economic security law and practice more broadly. It brings the latest developments and analysis to you. From economic security (law) experts – to economic security (law) experts.
Engage, Share, Contribute: Become part of the conversation. Share your insights, engage with thought-provoking content, and contribute to a blog that influences policy and practice. Whether you're looking to enhance your professional visibility or make an impact in the field, the CELIS Blog welcomes your voice.
Latest Blog Posts
Fair and Equitable Investment Screening
Author: Dr. Bálint Kovács (University of Szeged) Introduction With the widespread adoption of investment screening by Western states, there is increasing evidence as to the ways in which this tool of economic security is implemented. Investment screening accommodates an important exception to open market principles: the national security imperative. The liberalisation of foreign direct investment (“FDI”) flows is now limited ...
Continue reading EU Sanctions and Investment Arbitration: An Attempt at Moving the Goalposts through Increased Securitisation?
Author: Alexandros Bakos ((Postdoctoral researcher, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, College of Law) Introduction After the Achmea and Komstroy sagas, marking the end of intra-European Union (EU) investor-state arbitration, the Union finds itself again at the centre of some investment arbitration drama. Sanctioned Russian investors are increasingly bringing arbitral claims against the EU and its Member States in the hope that ...
Continue reading Between Deadlines and Discretion: Timely Decision-Making in Investment Screening
Authors: Xueji Su (University of Macau) and Alessandro Zocchia (University of Macau) Introduction: The Pocket Veto Phenomenon Investment screening involves a procedurally layered process involving notification, jurisdictional assessment, inter-agency consultation, risk analysis, possible mitigation negotiations, and final clearance or prohibition. In this setting, time is not a neutral variable. Delay can operate with the same practical force as a formal prohibition: it may cause contractual long-stop ...
Continue reading German Administrative Courts Take the Plunge – First Rulings on German Investment Screening Procedures and their Time Frame
Authors: Dr. Roland M. Stein (BLOMSTEIN) and Henriette Wohlschläger (BLOMSTEIN) Introduction In light of the prevailing tense global geopolitical climate, investments are no longer regarded exclusively as catalysts for growth and innovation, but instead as potential sources of security risk. As a key instrument for safeguarding national security as well as economic and technological sovereignty, mechanisms for screening foreign direct investments (“FDI”) are becoming increasingly ...
Continue reading Shielding Foreign Investment Screening from Challenge under Investment Treaties
Author: Dr. Joshua Paine (University of Bristol) Introduction This post considers how States can design international investment agreements (“IIAs”) to prevent foreign investment screening measures from being subject to successful challenge under such treaties. It will demonstrate that there are a wide variety of strategies for insulating investment screening measures from successful challenge under an IIA. While some of these ...
Continue reading Supply Chain Secondary Sanctions: How China Weaponised Lithuania’s Trade Links
Author: Verónica Fraile del Álamo (PhD Researcher, Australian National University) & Darren J. Lim (Senior Lecturer, Australian National University) This blog is part of the CELIS-L&G special series. All articles in Law & Geoeconomics are available free of charge via Brill using the access token LGEO4U until 31 December 2026. More details are available at the L&G page here. Introduction The growing entanglement of economic ...
Continue reading Post-Establishment Phase: FDI Screening Decisions and the Treatment of Retroactive Measures in Investment Arbitration
Authors: Bart Wasiak (Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer (UK) LLP) and Naina Gupta (Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer (UK) LLP) Introduction Decisions concerning the screening of foreign direct investments (“FDI”) are often taken at the post-establishment phase—after the foreign investor already has made an investment in the host State—but may have an effect on the validity of the investor’s earlier acquisition or otherwise adversely impact its existing ...
Continue reading CELIS Update on Investment Screening and Economic Security – May 2026
Authors: Helene Schramm with the assistance of interns Reet Sodhi and Aditi Singh INVESTMENT SCREENING MECHANISMS Finland – Planned Revision of FDI Screening Regime to Address Emerging Security Risks The foreign direct investment (“FDI”) screening framework in Finland is going through a major revamp to address the risks to national security, security of supply, and undue foreign influence, more efficiently. The new FDI Act, which is expected to ...
Continue reading Constraints on the State’s Right to Screen Foreign Investments Prior to Market Entry
Authors: Steffen Hindelang (Uppsala University; CELIS Institute), Helene Schramm (CELIS Institute) and Liam McGrath (CELIS Institute) Introduction As a starting point, a State enjoys broad authority to regulate the admission of foreign investment into its territory, including by reviewing, conditioning, or prohibiting a contemplated transaction before it is implemented. This can be motivated by national security considerations or may follow an economic needs ...
Continue reading Introducing the CELIS–Arnold & Porter Initiative on Investment Security x Investment Arbitration
Authors: Steffen Hindelang (Uppsala University; CELIS Institute), Helene Schramm (CELIS Institute) and Liam McGrath (CELIS Institute) Most international rules governing foreign investment still breathe the air of the liberal, if not neoliberal era in which they were created. They place particular emphasis on the promotion and protection of foreign-owned property and often enable foreign investors to enforce those rights with ...
Continue reading Get the blog posts in your inbox: CELIS Newsletter
CELIS Blog Editors
Want to be an author?
The CELIS Blog always welcomes posts from economic security professionals that address current issues in international investment screening and economic security law and practice. Would you like to contribute to the Blog? Please contact our editors: blog@celis.institute
Please feel free to consult our Editorial Guidelines.