Europe must be open for business, but closed to risks

"Europe must remain one of the world’s most attractive destinations for investment whilst having the right tools to identify and address risks linked to critical technologies, infrastructure, and supply chains," Jörgen Warborn MEP, the EPP Group’s spokesman on international trade, said, after the European Parliament today voted to approve the final agreement on the screening of foreign direct investments (FDI), a key step to strengthen Europe’s economic security, resilience, and ability to stay open in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

The agreement is part of the European Union’s economic security agenda and ensures that all Member States establish national investment screening mechanisms. It also improves coordination between national systems and sets a common list of sensitive sectors that must be checked across the EU. 

The EPP Group welcomes the agreement as a balanced framework that safeguards Europe’s strategic interests while maintaining the EU’s long-standing commitment to open markets, investment, and international cooperation.

The deal keeps Member States in charge of the final decisions on whether to allow investments, while strengthening the European Commission’s role in coordination and information sharing. This ensures greater consistency across the Union without undermining national competencies.

This agreement also reflects several of the EPP Group's key priorities. It simplifies procedures to reduce bureaucracy, expands the scope to cover new and emerging risks, and reduces the review period from five to three years so the rules remain fit for purpose in a rapidly evolving geopolitical and technological landscape.

The EPP Group therefore supported the agreement and calls for its swift implementation across all Member States.