Mirko von Bieberstein

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On October 17, 2024, the European Commission (“Commission“) published its forth annual report on the screening of foreign direct investments (“FDI“) into the Union (the “Report“), following previous editions published in October 2023, September 2022 and November 2021. Notable findings include the follow:Continue Reading EU FDI: State Of The Union (2024)

2022 did not see as many legislative changes of the German foreign direct investment regime (“FDI Regime“) as in years before. However, several foreign direct investments with a Chinese nexus reviewed by the German FDI authority, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (“BMWK“), attracted public attention in 2022:Continue Reading German FDI Reviews of Chinese Investments in 2022 Confirm the Current Trend – Strict Scrutiny and Political Dimension in Decision Making

The new year comes in the midst of an evolving landscape for economic sanctions, including the transition away from a U.S. administration that has relied on tightening economic sanctions as a key component of a number of foreign policy initiatives. In 2021, boards of directors should be aware of the ongoing implementation of new China-related sanctions, sanctions risks relating to ransomware attacks and the potential sanctions implications of foreign-policy shifts by the Biden administration.
Continue Reading Developments in U.S. Sanctions and Foreign Investment Regulatory Regimes

The EU Foreign Direct Investment Regulation came into force this week. It establishes a European framework for the screening of foreign investments into the European Union. In this memorandum we provide an overview of the legislation, and its expected practical impact on foreign investment review in the EU.

Please click here to read the full…

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie – BMWi), led by federal minister Peter Altmaier, announced a major revision of Germany’s foreign direct investment control regime (FDI Regime) to come into force in 2020, in what would become the third amendment of the FDI Regime since 2017. This announcement was made as part of the introduction of the BMWi’s “National Industry Strategy 2030”. The aim of this new industrial policy is to “protect and regain Germany’s commercial and technical expertise, competitiveness and industrial leadership at national, European and global level”.
Continue Reading Changes to the German Foreign Direct Investment Control Regime Take Shape Amid the COVID-19 Crisis

In a March 25, 2020 communication, the European Commission (“EC”) issued guidance on the screening of foreign direct investments (“FDI”) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The communication identifies an increased risk of attempts by non-EU acquirers to obtain control over suppliers of essential products, in particular healthcare sector products. The EC calls on Member States to make use of pre-existing FDI regimes, and to introduce robust screening mechanisms where they do not already exist, to protect “critical health infrastructure, supply of critical inputs, and other critical sectors.”  The communication builds on the increasing coordination among Member States that was already encouraged by the EU FDI Screening Regulation that comes into effect in October 2020.
Continue Reading European Commission Urges Member States to Protect Suppliers of Essential Products from Foreign Takeovers

With a draft bill to amend the Foreign Trade and Payments Act (Außenwirtschaftsgesetz – AWG) issued on January 30, 2020, the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie – BMWi) has started a legislative process to change the German foreign direct investment control regime (FDI Regime). This will be the third amendment to the FDI Regime since 2017. While the German Government continues to emphasize that Germany maintains an investment-friendly environment, these changes will further strengthen the Government’s ability to scrutinize foreign direct investments in Germany. As with earlier amendments to the FDI Regime, which all aimed to protect German and European security interests, these new changes will have a significant impact on M&A transactions in Germany.
Continue Reading Upcoming Changes to the German Foreign Direct Investment Control Regime