European Union: Inward/ Foreign Investment

France is tightening its foreign investment screening regime as the 2027 presidential election approaches, with parliamentary proposals seeking to expand oversight powers and broaden the scope of strategic sectors subject to review. The shift reflects a cross-party consensus on protecting national interests amid rising geopolitical tensions and follows new EU regulations requiring mandatory screening mechanisms across all member states.

France's updated military programming law adds €36 billion to defence spending through 2030, creating significant investment opportunities in munitions, drones, space, AI, and electronic warfare systems. However, US and non-EU investors face complex regulatory hurdles including French foreign investment screening, European eligibility requirements, export controls, and ITAR-free design mandates that fundamentally reshape how transatlantic defence investments must be structured.

A first draft of a German Investment Screening Act (Investitionsprüfungsgesetz, IPG) was circulated in early October 2026. The text is a so-called Referentenentwurf – a working draft prepared by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE).

Liguria has allocated €10 million through the POR FESR 2021-2027 program to support startups and MSMEs via equity and quasi-equity investments. The Fund operates through two distinct lines targeting different enterprise categories, requiring mandatory public-private co-investment with specific participation thresholds. Applications open September 22, 2026, and will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis until resources are exhausted.

The 2026 EU-India Free Trade Agreement, combined with the long-standing Netherlands-India tax treaty, has created unprecedented opportunities for Indian companies seeking to establish operations in Europe. This comprehensive analysis examines how these two legal instruments work together to reduce trade barriers, lower tax burdens, and provide strategic advantages for Indian businesses entering the European market through the Netherlands.

La Belgique a longtemps été considérée comme un paradis fiscal grâce à l'absence de taxe sur les plus-values pour la gestion normale d'un patrimoine privé. Depuis le 1er janvier 2026, une nouvelle taxe sur les plus-values des actifs financiers a été instaurée avec un taux forfaitaire de 10% et un abattement de 10 000 € par an. Les dirigeants d'entreprise détenant au moins 20% des actions peuvent bénéficier d'une exonération de 1 000

Real estate transactions in Finland present unique legal requirements that distinguish them from other jurisdictions. From mandatory notary presence and formal execution procedures to permit requirements for non-EU buyers and complex pre-emption rights held by municipalities and the State, navigating Finnish property law demands careful attention to procedural details and strategic timing.

The European Union has adopted a new regulation on foreign direct investment screening that will take effect in 2028, establishing mandatory minimum standards across all Member States. This marks a significant shift from the previous cooperation-based framework toward harmonized requirements for reviewing foreign investments in sensitive sectors. While the regulation introduces common procedures and expanded scope, national variations in implementation are expected to persist, creating new considerations fo

The European Union has introduced its most comprehensive overhaul of foreign direct investment screening since 2020, establishing harmonised minimum standards across all Member States for reviewing investments in strategically sensitive sectors. This revised framework significantly expands the scope of transactions subject to review, introduces stricter procedural requirements, and enhances coordination mechanisms between national authorities and the European Commission.