The Dilemma of Inward FDI in the EU and U.S. Investment Policy: Ensuring Capital Inflows and/or Strengthening Control of Strategic Assets?

Abstract

The growing awareness of the security issues, safeguarding the leading positions in strategic industries, and upholding competitive advantages has tightened the rules regarding the admission of foreign direct investment (FDI). Recent changes in policy and legislation of the United States and the EU concerning FDI set current trends and determine future perspectives in investment inflows regulation. We are currently facing a global trend towards more selective and detailed regulation of foreign investment, rethinking liberal approaches and open borders policy as the global confrontation of the new eco[1]nomic power centers becomes increasingly tougher.The issue of ensuring FDI inflow into the national economy avoiding risks of undermining leading positions in strategic industries is of a particular academic interest. The implementation of investment screening procedures is becoming one of the important tools of the new national security strategies. Investment screening models in the EU and in the U.S., the key trendsetters in FDI regulation, have a range of differences and similarities analyzed in this article. Therefore, within the framework of the current research we can make an important contribution to the further formation of new global strategies for FDI regulation.

Keywords

• foreign direct investment
• regulation of fdi admission
• strategic assets
• national security and public order
• fdi screening mechanism
• critical infrastructure
• critical technologies
• access to data