At a time of marked geopolitical uncertainty, governments around Europe are committing to meaningful increases in defence spending, whilst also looking to private capital and investment to supplement public funds. This in...more
As 2025 begins, the foreign direct investment (FDI) landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Driven by geopolitical shifts, technological advancements, and changing regulatory priorities, businesses must navigate an...more
In line with international and European developments, Ireland has introduced a new regime to provide for a process to allow for certain transactions that may present risks to the security or public order of the State to be...more
On 17 September 2024, European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen presented to the European Parliament her proposed team of Commissioners-designate together with their portfolios for the next European Commission...more
The EU Commission presented the long-awaited European Economic Security Package ("EESP"), a toolkit to ramp-up European action in investment, trade and research in the face of rising geopolitical tensions, geo-economic...more
France is currently strengthening its foreign direct investment (“FDI”) screenings regime. In addition to the new resources allocated to the Government unit in charge of the French FDI laws, the French government adopted, on...more
On 1 July 2023, the Belgium foreign direct investment ("FDI") screening regime enters into force. The regime will add scrutiny for non-EU companies planning investments in targeted sectors and will create additional...more
The increasing number and complexity of foreign direct investment (FDI) screening regimes requires careful navigation when planning and executing global M&A transactions, as well as greenfield cross-border investments. In...more
With 2023 only a few days old, many predictions are out there about what the New Year holds for investment and M&A activity. While it is hard to prophesy, particularly in such unprecedentedly turbulent times, one legal trend...more
In its Second Annual Report on the screening of foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Union, the EU Commission takes stock of the FDI screening rules at both EU and Member State level. Today, 25 out of 27 Member States...more
Das Bundeskartellamt nimmt derzeit verstärkt zu den kartellrechtlichen Grenzen bei Preissteigerungen Stellung. Bundeskartellamt zu der aktuellen Entwicklung der Kraftstoffpreise Auf Veranlassung von Wirtschaftsminister Habeck...more
EU Kommission nimmt Absprachen im Personalbereich in den Blick EU-Wettbewerbskommissarin Margrethe Vestager hat in einer Rede am 22. Oktober 2021 in Rom („A New Era of Cartel Enforcement“) ausdrücklich betont, dass die...more
On 1 January 2022, Germany renewed its ever tougher FDI rules yet again. The reform expands definitions of so-called critical infrastructures, especially but not only in the areas of IT services and energy. Indirectly, this...more
In its First Annual Report on the EU Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Screening Regulation and Member States’ individual screening mechanisms, the European Commission takes stock of the first year of implementation of the new...more
Foreign investment control has become a key factor in M&A deals and 2020 was a particularly eventful year. A large number of countries have recently introduced foreign investment control regimes (or tightened their existing...more
1/26/2021
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Corporate Sales Transactions ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Cybersecurity ,
EU ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
Germany ,
Information Technology ,
Merger Controls ,
Popular
The long-awaited application of the European Union (EU) Regulation on a framework for the screening of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the EU started yesterday, 11 October 2020. It is still early days to anticipate how the...more
Governments all over the world are continuing to take steps to strengthen their powers to intervene in foreign direct investments ("FDI") into their countries. These changes come at a time of increased scrutiny of foreign...more
The overall ongoing trend in major Western economies of tightening Foreign Investment Control is not being overlooked in Europe. As these new measures also particularly affect disposals and acquisitions of German "critical...more
The disruption linked to COVID-19 already affects the global economy significantly, including M&A transactions in Europe and across the globe. On the regulatory side, many deals face challenges caused by national authorities'...more
For M&A transactions in Germany and beyond, Foreign Investment Control screenings have become an indispensable standard element to assess when structuring deals and planning for regulatory review. Similarly to merger control,...more
2/27/2020
/ Cross-Border Transactions ,
EU ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
Germany ,
Investment Opportunities ,
Investors ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Security Standards ,
Standard of Review ,
Standstill Agreements ,
Threshold Requirements
Foreign direct investment (“FDI”) screenings have become a relevant factor for global transactions in recent years. More and more jurisdictions are introducing or ramping up their powers for scrutinising FDI, which parties to...more
Read the latest news on antitrust, competition and economic regulation (ACER) in this Winter's edition of our quarterly ACER newsletter.
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4/3/2019
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Bid Rigging ,
CFIUS ,
Economic Development ,
EU ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Government Shutdown ,
Hold-Separate Remedies ,
Merger Controls ,
No-Poaching ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Public Procurement Policies ,
Regulatory Standards ,
South Africa ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
German Minister of Economics suggests revising EU and German merger control regulations to enable the creation of European champions – and keeps FDI options on the table to prevent acquisitions by non-European players....more
The European Union (EU) has recently proposed new rules establishing a framework for the review of foreign investments in the EU on the grounds of security or public order (“Commission Proposal”)....more