On Thursday 15 May, the trade ministers of the EU Member States debated the issue of the Union’s economic security. It was an opportunity for them to take stock of the regulation that will impose the screening of foreign direct investments (FDI) on the EU27, which is currently in the hands of the EU Council. Speaking through the Polish Under-Secretary of State for Economic Development, Michal Baranowski, the Polish Presidency of the EU Council stated it was confident that Member States would adopt their position in June. “There is a consensus to move forward quickly”, he said.
The European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefčovič, insisted on the need for a “robust and ambitious” regulation on the screening of FDI. According to several sources, Member States are moving towards a reduction in the scope of application, which does not please the European Commission.
The European Parliament adopted its position on 8 May (see EUROPE 13636/9) and even extended the scope of the screening.
Despite these differing outlooks on a key point of the text, the Polish Presidency believes that an agreement between the EU Council and the European Parliament is possible by the end of the year. Denmark, which is due to take over the rotating Presidency of the EU Council in July, is very committed to the issue, according to Michal Baranowski. (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)