The negotiations between the European Parliament and EU Council on the draft Community framework for screening foreign direct investment (FDI) from third countries will address the most sensitive elements of the file on Tuesday 6 November.
"We are in a very good phase", a diplomatic source said on Monday 5 November, speaking of "very good cooperation" with the European Parliament.
MEPs and member state representatives have already recorded considerable progress on certain technical and political points of the European Commission's proposal enabling FDI to be screened, the impact of which could harm EU public order and security.
The two previous meetings, which took place in a positive negotiation environment according to sources close to the file, enabled notable progress on two of three negotiation clusters. The first cluster, finalised on 27 September, mainly included the framework and legal bases of the article.
The second cluster focuses on the architecture, role of institutional actors and the cooperation conditions for the economic operators and social partners. Only the most complex elements of this cluster are still to be resolved, like that of the "third scenario" introduced by the European Parliament, which considers the case where at least a third of member states express concern about an FDI (see EUROPE 12041).
The third package mainly focuses on European programmes and projects, as well as the role of the European Commission. Notable progress has already been made on the list of strategic infrastructure.
The EU does not have a centralised screening system for investments because this competence relates exclusively to the member states – and no formal cooperation currently exists. Only 13 member states currently have this type of mechanism in place.
The parties have two weeks to find a compromise, until the next trilogue negotiation session on 27 November.
The Austrian Presidency will inform the EU trade ministers of the progress on this file on Friday 9 November. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)