In Short
The Development: On January 24, 2024, the
European Commission ("EC") unveiled a package of five fresh initiatives
aimed at strengthening the European Union's ("EU")
economic security (the "Package"). This will likely
increase the walled-garden approach of the EU market with expanded
control of inbound investments and possibly also novel restrictions
on outbound investments.
The Background: Ensuring economic security has
recently emerged as a new policy priority for the EU. This was
recently formalized in the EU's "Economic Security
Strategy" published in June 2023, calling for the better
deployment of existing tools—such as on foreign direct
investment ("FDI") screening and export
controls—and the adoption of new ones to protect the EU from
economic security risks. The Package is the first step toward
delivering on this policy.