CELIS-Blog

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Omid Jahanbozorgi and Ardit Maxhuni (Business and Law Research Group, University of Antwerp, Belgium)   Digital Sovereignty is an increasingly discussed topic in European policy circles. CELIS Blog will host several contributions on the topic in the following months. The following post provides a general introduction to the theme.   The Business and Law Research…

Authors: Helene Schramm with the assistance of interns Reet Sodhi and Aditi Singh   INVESTMENT SCREENING MECHANISMS   Cyprus – Introduction of New FDI Screening Regime Under Law 194(I)/2025  Cyprus has introduced a new national framework for the screening of foreign direct investments (“FDI”) under Law 194(I)/2025 “On the Establishment of a Framework for the Screening of Foreign Direct Investments”,…

Authors: Floor Doppen (post-doctoral researcher, University of Antwerp), Simon Sharghi-Erdmosa (Managing Programme Associate & Acting Head of Programmes, CELIS Institute)   Introduction In Germany, public defence spending is reaching unprecedented levels, reflecting the current political momentum to expand manufacturing capacities and consolidate key capabilities within Germany and the European Union (EU). Yet public funding alone…

Authors: Leonard von Rummel (Partner, Blomstein), Jan Philipp Huth (PhD Candidate, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)) 1. Introduction After heated political debates and several publication announcements postponed or cancelled at the last minute, the Commission eventually unveiled its proposal for the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA Proposal) on March 4, 2026. Even though the suggested introduction…

Author: Pierfrancesco Mattiolo (PhD Candidate, University of Antwerp) The European Commission has recently announced the opening of two in-depth investigations under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation on the Chinese companies Nuctech (security equipment) and Goldwind (wind turbines). Introduction: is the Commission prioritising strategic sectors in ex officio investigations? Over the recent months, new enforcement developments have…

Authors: Anne Bonet (senior advisor, CELIS institute) & Floor Doppen (senior programme associate, CELIS Institute) Introduction: A Conversation with Ana-Maria Belacurencu Across Europe, investment screening mechanisms have moved from legislative blueprints to operational realities. While each Member State followed its own constitutional and political path, many faced similar challenges: designing new institutions, building analytical capacity,…

Part 6 in the CELIS blogseries on the revision of FDI Screening Regulation 2019/45 Authors: Andrew Hill (Amcham Europe), and Floor Doppen (University of Antwerp) Introduction The clock has started ticking for the early-2028 implementation deadline of the Foreign Investment Screening Regulation (the ‘Regulation’) with Germany already announcing that it will consolidate its screening rules…

Authors: Steffen Hindelang (CELIS Institute), Liam McGrath (CELIS Institute), Helene Schramm (CELIS Institute) I. Introduction While the European Union and its Member States are still assessing whether to introduce a mechanism to review outbound investment for economic security reasons, the Netherlands appears to be ahead of the policy curve. On 30 September 2025, following reports…