header-logo header-logo

Foreign investment rules: following the money

135267
The EU’s rules on foreign investment are changing: Miguel Vaz & Ben Groden set out the practical steps companies must now take to comply
  • Earlier this year, the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) came into force.
  • The FSR imposes certain notification requirements on EU and non-EU businesses receiving third-country subsidies while operating within the EU.
  • This articles reviews who the FSR applies to and what companies should do practically when faced with these changes.

On 12 January 2023, the EU’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) came into force. The aim of the FSR is to combat distortions of competition within the internal market caused by foreign investment. The FSR Implementing Regulation, adopted on 10 July 2023, provides guidance on the procedural aspects of the FSR, filing requirements, and investigation timelines.

Under previous rules, subsidies granted by non-EU governments were not reviewed, whereas those granted by member states were heavily scrutinised. This created an uneven playing field within the internal market.

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Sidley—James Inness

Sidley—James Inness

Partner joins capital markets team in London office

Haynes Boone—William Cecil

Haynes Boone—William Cecil

Firm announces appointment of partner as UK general counsel

Devonshires—Nicholas Barrows

Devonshires—Nicholas Barrows

Firm appoints first chief marketing officer to drive growth strategy

NEWS
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
The long-running Mazur saga edged towards its finale as the Court of Appeal heard arguments on whether non-solicitors can ‘conduct litigation’. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School reports from a packed courtroom where 16 wigs watched Nick Bacon KC argue that Mr Justice Sheldon had failed to distinguish between ‘tasks and responsibilities’

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
back-to-top-scroll