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2023 CELIS Forum on Investment Screening (CFIS 23)

CFIS 23 - Investment Screening and Economic Security

11-13 October 2023

On-site and Online | in private and public sessions | Prague (Czech Republic)

 

Hosted by the CELIS Institute | Convened by Steffen Hindelang and Roland M Stein

About CFIS 23 - Investment Screening and Economic Security

The CELIS Forum on Investment Screening (CFIS) is the flagship event of the CELIS Institute, to be held in its 5th edition this year.

CFIS is Europe's first and foremost forum to discuss questions on investment screening and economic security.

Thought leaders in investment control and economic security from Europe, the US, and beyond discuss current practical challenges and influential ideas to sketch geoeconomic strategies for Europe.

Discussions in CFIS 23 are held partly in private (strict Chatham House rules apply) and partly in public. The number of in-person participants and panels for the in-private part are restricted to no more than 50 people in total. Public sessions can be joined online and by additional selected invitees.

Thought leaders debate European economic security both from a strategic and highly practical perspective. Participants are invited with the view to form a trusted community of economic security experts from business, government, and academia who deal with the subject matter on a high level.

How to build a Geoeconomic European Union? │ Economic security and the Internal Market │ The EU and the US-China technology hegemony │ Review of the EU’s Investment Screening Regulation (Inbound and Outbound) │ Building resilience: Establishing efficient investment screening mechanisms in transition and developing countries │ EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation

  • Engage in dialogue with key policy makers and leading experts from government, business, private legal practice, and academia.
  • Hear about the latest thinking on investment screening and economic security relevant to overcome current challenges
  • Best practices, expectations, challenges in (inbound and outbound) investment screening in EU Member States, the EU, the United States and other jurisdictions
  • Understanding security risks and methods or risk mitigation
  • Thinking investment control 360 degrees - inter-linkage with sanctions, export control, and state aid
  • Developments to follow in the a fast-changing geoeconomic landscape.

CFIS 23 Agenda at a Glance

Subject to change, state 04 September 2023

Venue Hotel NH Collection Prague Carlo IV

 

FORUM OPENING
Dress Code: Business Attire
(closed discussions)

 

17:00 – 18:00 CET

Registration and Opening Reception

 

 

18:00 – 18:15 CET

Conveners’ Opening Remarks

 

by Professor Steffen Hindelang (Executive Director, CELIS Institute, Berlin; Professor of Investment and Trade Law, Uppsala University, Uppsala) and Dr Roland Stein (Deputy Director, CELIS Institute, Berlin; Founding Partner, Blomstein, Berlin) 

 

 

18:15 – 19:30 CET

Dinner with Dinner Speech 

 

by Director Peter Sandler (Director for Enforcement, Market Access, SMEs, Legal Affairs and Technology, DG Trade, European Commission, Brussels) on

"Getting serious: blurring boundaries of law and politics in the search for EU's economic security"

 

 

 

Presented and Introductory remarks

by H.E. Ambassador Tomáš Pojar (National Security Advisor, Czech National Security Council, Prague)

 

 

Fireside Chats: Building A Trusted Forum And Community For And By Economic Security Experts
Dress code: Business casual
(closed discussions)

 

20:00 – 21:00 CET

Kick-off remarks

 

by H.E. Ambassador Bijan Sabet (US Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Czech Republic, US Embassy, Prague)

Interventions

 

 

21:00 CET

Drinks

Hotel Hilton Prague
Dress Code: Business Attire

 

09:00 - 10:30 CET

Keynote and High-Level Roundtable:

(closed discussions)

Towards a Geoeconomic Union - Do We Need A New EU Economic Order?

   

09:00 – 09:15 CET

Introduction to the Keynote Event

 

Presentation of the Keynote Speaker
by Professor Sven Simon (MEP, European Parliament, Strasbourg/Brussels)

 

 

09:15 – 09:45 CET

Keynote Address
by H.E. Member of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis (European Commission, Brussels)*

 

 

09:45 – 10:30 CET

High-Level Roundtable

 

Panellists:

  • H.E. Director General Anders Ahnlid (Director General, The Swedish National Board of Trade, Stockholm)
  • Dr Markus Steilemann (CEO, Covestro AG, Leverkusen)*
  • H.E. Member of the European Commission Valdis Domborvskis (European Commission, Brussels)*
  • H.E. State Secretary Xiana Margarida Méndez Bértolo (Secretary of State for Trade and President of ICEX; Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Madrid)*
  • H.E. Head of Department Elisa Grande (Head of Department for Administrative Coordination, Italian Government; Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Rome)

Moderators: Professor Sven Simon (MEP, European Parliament, Strasbourg/Brussels) and Professor Steffen Hindelang (Executive Director, CELIS Institute, Berlin; Professor of Investment and Trade Law, Uppsala University, Uppsala)

   

10:30 – 11:00 CET

Networking and Refreshment Break

 

11:00 – 12:30 CET

Keynote and High-Level Roundtable:

(closed discussions)

The Role of Partners and Allies in Providing Economic Security

   

11:00 - 11:15 CET

Introduction to the Keynote Event

 

and Presentation of the Keynote Speaker

 

by The Honourable Dr Kim Holmes (Vice Chair of the Board, Center for International Private Enterprise, Washington DC/Warsaw)

   

11:15 - 11:45 CET

Keynote Address

 

by H.E. Assistant Secretary Paul Rosen (Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Investment Security, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Washington DC)*

   

11:45 - 12:30 CET

High-Level Roundtable

 

Panellists:

  • H.E. Ambassador Ivo Germann (Head of Foreign Economic Affairs Directorate, Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Berlin)
  • H.E. Joint Secretary Himani Pande (Joint Secretary, Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Invest India, New Delhi)*
  • H. E. Deputy Director General Ignacio Mezquita Pérez-Andujar (Deputy Director General for Foreign Investments Spanish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Madrid)*
  • H. E. Deputy Director General Denis Redonnet (Deputy Director General and Chief Trade Enforcement officer, DG Trade, European Commission)
  • H.E. Assistant Secretary Paul Rosen (Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Investment Security, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Washington DC)*
  • H. E. Director Ota Šimák (Director of the Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Prague)
  • H. E. Director Massahiro Tachibana (Director of International Investment Control Office, Trade Control Department Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, Tokio)

Moderators: The Honourable Dr Kim Holmes (Vice Chair of the Board, Center for International Private Enterprise, Washington DC/Warsaw) and Dr Roland Stein (Deputy Director, CELIS Institute, Berlin; Founding Partner, Blomstein, Berlin)

   

12:30 - 13:30 CET

Luncheon

   

13:30 - 15:30 CET

Session: "Sandwiched Europe -

(closed discussions)

The EU and the US-China Technology Hegemony

 

Chair: Professor Jill Goldenziel (U.S. National Defense University, Washington DC)

Speakers:

  • Joffrey Celestin-Urbain (Head of Economic Strategic Intelligence and Security Department of the Directorate General for Enterprise, Paris)*
  • Horst Meyer (Vice President and Corporate Legal Counsel, Infineon AG, Neubiberg)*
  • Deputy Director Andrew Preston (Head, Investment Security, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK Government, London)
  • Jaap van Etten (CEO, Datenna, Eindhoven)
   

15:30 - 16:00 CET

Networking and Refreshment Break - Registration for Public Forum Attendees

   

16:00 - 18:00 CET

Public Forum Opening Keynote and Discussions

(public discussions)

 

16:00 - 16:05 CET

Introduction to the Keynote Event and

 

Presentation of the Keynote Speaker

 

by Assistant Professor Lena Hornkohl (Deputy Director, CELIS Institute, Berlin/Vienna University, Vienna)

 

 

16:05 – 16:30 CET

Review of the EU’s Investment Screening Regulation – Europe’

 

Screening Mechanism(s) in five years’ time

 

by Damien Levie (Head of Unit, Technology & Security, FDI Screening, DG Trade, European Commission, Brussels)

   

16:30 - 17:00 CET

Comments

 
  • by Ana-Maria Belacurencu (nee Popa) (Case handler, Foreign Investment Department, Romanian Competition Council, Bucharest)
  • by Martin Bresson (Public Affairs Director, Invest Europe, Brussels)
  • by Juan Ignacio Gonzalez Bastero (Principal Manager, Chamber 4 Directorate, Regulation of markets and competitive economy, European Court of Auditors, Luxemburg)
   

17:00 - 18:00 CET

Roundtable: Looking For a Design of Europe's Screening Mechanism

 

Panellists:

  • Dr Petr Lang (Member of the Department fo Trade Policy and International Economic Organizations, Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, Prague)
  • Pierre-Marie Voegeli (Head of Unit, Control of Foreign Investments, French Treasury, Paris)
  • Dr Angelika Milger (Deputy Head of Unit, German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Berlin)
  • Dr Alexandra Leoni (Head of Unit, Investment Control, Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy, Vienna)
  • Bernardo Argiolas ((Director of the Office for the
    Coordination of Foreign Direct Investment Screening,
    Department for Administrative Coordination, Italian
    Government; Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Rome)
  • Dimitri Slobodenjuk (Partner, Clifford Chance, Dusseldorf)

Moderators:

Dr Leonard von Rummel (Senior Associate, Blomstein, Berlin) and Assistant Professor Lena Hornkohl (Deputy Director, CELIS Institute Berlin; Vienna University, Vienna)

   

18:30 - 20:00 CET

Drinks Reception, courtesy of Kirkland Ellis

 

(Hotel NH Collection Prague Carlo IV)

   

20:00 CET

CFIS Reception & Banquet

 

(Hotel NH Collection Prague Carlo IV)

   
 

*Confirmation pending

Hotel Hilton Prague
Dress Code: Business Attire

 

09:00 - 10:30 CET

Session: Outward Investment Screening:

(public session)

Between Risk Diversification, Technology Denial, and the Return of Capital Controls 

   
 

Chairs: Dr Roland
Stein (Deputy Director, CELIS Institute, Berlin; Founding Partner, Blomstein, Berlin)

 

 

 

Speaker:

  • Jill McClune (General Counsel, US, Avon Protection Systems, Washington DC)
  • H.E. Deputy Minister Jiří Kozák (Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Prague)
  • H.E. Deputy Assistant Secretary Brian Reissaus (Deputy Assistant Secretary Investment Security Operations, U.S.
  • Department of the Treasury, Washington DC)*
  • Professor Ashley Lenihan (Professor of the Practice of International Affairs, Georgetown University, Washington DC)
  • Jani Ringborg (Member of the Legal Service, European Commission, Brussels)
   

10:30 – 11:00 CET

Networking and Refreshment Break

 

 

11:00 - 12:30 CET

Session: Building Resilience:

 

Experience and Lessons Learned from Training and Capacity Building in the Area of Investment Screening and Economic Security

 

 

 

Chairs: John Kay (Programme Manager Europe and Eurasia, Center for International Private Enterprise, Washington DC/Warsaw) and Dr Fabian Zuleeg (Chief Executive, European Policy Center, Brussels)

 

 

 

Speaker:

  • H.E. Deputy Minister Cetin Ali Dönmez (Deputy Minister, Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology, Ankara)
  • Professor Steffen Hindelang (Executive Director, CELIS Institute, Berlin; Professor of Investment and Trade Law, Uppsala University, Uppsala)
  • Dr Akira Igata (Project Lecturer at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, Tokyo)*
  • Thomas 'Skip' Mark (Senior Counsel, Commercial Law  Development Program, US Department of Commerce, Washington DC)
  • Professor Bimal N. Patel (Vice Chancellor of Rashtriya Raksha University; Member of the Indian National Security Advisory Board and of the International Law Commission, Gandhinagar)

 

 

12:30 – 12:45 CET

Closing Remarks

 

 

 

by Professor Steffen Hindelang (Executive Director, CELIS Institute, Berlin; Professor of Investment and Trade Law, Uppsala University, Uppsala) and Dr Roland Stein (Deputy Director, CELIS Institute, Berlin; Founding Partner, Blomstein, Berlin)

 

 

12:45 – 13:30 CET

Luncheon

 

 

 

End of CFIS 23

 

 

 

*Confirmation pending

 

Tickets available via Eventbrite

  • Available Ticket ON-SITE - All days (All prices excl. VAT)
    • ON-SITE - All days (In-private and public sessions 11-13 October 2023, all dinners, CFIS Reception & Banquet), from 1,485 to 2,500 € - by invitation (Please get in touch with us if interested in attending the in-private sessions. While all seats are currently reserved, we may be able to offer you one at a later moment.)
  • Available Ticket ON-SITE - Public Forum (All prices excl. VAT)
    • ON-SITE Standard - Public sessions (public debates on Thursday 12 October, 16.00 CET - Friday 13 October, 13.30 CET, including the CFIS Reception & Banquet on 12 October), 985,00 €
    • ON-SITE Government, Academia, Sponsors - Public sessions (public debates on Thursday 12 October, 16.00 CET - Friday 13 October, 13.30 CET, including the CFIS Reception & Banquet on 12 October), 785,00 € 
  • Available Ticket ONLINE (All prices excl. VAT)
    • ONLINE Standard CFIS 23 - Public sessions (public debates on Thursday 12 October, 16.00 CET - Friday 13 October, 13.30 CET), 390,00 €
    • ONLINE CFIS 23 Government, Academia, Sponsors - Public sessions (public debates on Thursday 12 October, 16.00 CET - Friday 13 October, 13.30 CET), 185,00 € 
    • ONLINE CFIS 23 CELIS Fellows - Public sessions (public debates on Thursday 12 October, 16.00 CET - Friday 13 October, 13.30 CET), 185,00 € 

 

CELIS GLOBAL SOUTH Initiative

  • Available Ticket ON-SITE GLOBAL SOUTH - Public Forum (All prices excl. VAT)
    • public debates on Thursday 12 October, 16.00 CET - Friday 13 October, 13.30 CET, including the CFIS Reception & Banquet on 12 October, please get in touch with us.
  • Available Ticket ONLINE GLOBAL SOUTH (All prices excl. VAT)
    • Public sessions (public debates on Thursday 12 October, 16.00 CET - Friday 13 October, 13.30 CET), please get in touch with us.

 

Proof of eligibility required (Afghanistan Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Côte d'Ivoire Cuba Democratic People's Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Fiji Gabon Gambia Ghana Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Jamaica Jordan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Lao People's Democratic Republic Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Micronesia (Federated States of) Mongolia Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Qatar Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sudan Suriname Swaziland Syrian Arab Republic Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Uganda United Arab Emirates United Republic of Tanzania Uruguay Vanuatu Venezuela,(Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe)

CFIS-SIFIR

Sponsored tickets for CFIS 23 - SIFIR Young Scholars / CELIS Young Scholars

CELIS Institute & The Swedish Institute of International Law Join Forces for CFIS 23 Conference!

As a testament to our collaboration, The Swedish Institute of International Law is delighted to sponsor three online places and one coveted in-person place at the CFIS 23 Conference. These sponsorships will provide deserving young scholars and PhD students with the unique opportunity to participate in this enriching event, gain invaluable insights from world-class experts, and actively engage in meaningful discussions on the most pressing issues in investment screening and economic security.

The following successful applicants will be invited as SIFIR Young Scholars to CFIS 23:

SIFIR CFIS 23 Fully Sponsored In-Person Ticket

  • Sara Holmström (Uppsala University)

SIFIR CFIS 23 Fully Sponsored Online Ticket for Public Sessions

  • Kilian Wagner (University of Vienna)
  • Tim Daniel Ellemann (European University Institute)
  • Enrico Tinti (University of Bologna)

As we received so many excellent applications, the CELIS Institute has decided to award three additional free online tickets for CFIS 23's public sessions and invite three promissing PhD students as CELIS Young Scholars:

CELIS Institute CFIS 23 Fully Sponsored Online Ticket for Public Sessions

  • Niroshika Liyana Muhandiram (South Asian University)
  • Yoa Yuan (Leiden University)
  • Christos Karetsos (City, University of London).

Congratulations and welcome to Prague.

Queries on the CFIS 23

If you have any questions about participation and sponsorship opportunities, please contact us.

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CFIS 23 Official Key Sponsors and Supporting Patrons

CLDP
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CFIS takes place under the honorary patronage of the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade

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