Brussels will call for more rigorous screening of foreign takeovers of European companies, as it seeks to address mounting concerns about a surge of Chinese investment into the bloc’s high-tech manufacturing, energy and infrastructure sectors.
Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president, is set to announce measures in a keynote speech in September to tackle perceived gaps in the EU’s armoury compared with the US and other major economies in vetting foreign takeovers in strategic sectors, according to people briefed on the talks.
The issue has risen up the EU’s political agenda due to growing fears that China may gain a technological edge by buying European know-how while heavily restricting the role it allows EU investors in its domestic market.