Leggi in ItalianoFor years, screening foreign investments for security risks was something EU Member States could do but were not required to do. That has now changed. The European Parliament has approved a reform that makes screening mandatory in sensitive sectors — defence, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, critical raw materials, financial services — and extends coverage to intra-EU transactions where the investor is ultimately controlled by non-EU actors. The shift from voluntary to obligatory screening is the single most significant change in the EU’s approach to foreign investment since the original Regulation 2019/452.
This is a significant step in the EU’s broader economic security agenda — and one I have been following closely since the original Regulation 2019/452. It reflects a clear shift from a largely open-market approach toward a more strategic model of investment governance, especially where control over critical technologies, infrastructure or supply chains is at stake. As Parliament’s rapporteur Raphaël Glucksmann stated, the measure aims to end “European naivety” in the face of foreign attempts to gain influence over sensitive sectors. The debate will now continue through the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, presented by the Commission on 4 March 2026.
The regulation still requires formal approval by the Council. Once adopted, it will enter into force and apply 18 months later.