European Union

European Union

Adopts the guidance on foreign direct investments from Russia and Belarus

06 Apr 2022

On 6 April 2022, the European Commission adopted the “Guidance to the Member States concerning foreign direct investment from Russia and Belarus in view of the military aggression against Ukraine and the restrictive measures laid down in recent Council Regulations on sanctions”. Among others, the document calls on EU Member States to: - Systematically use their screening mechanisms to assess and prevent the threats related to Russian and Belarusian investments on grounds of security and public order; - Ensure close cooperation between national authorities competent for sanctions and those competent for the screening of investments in the context of implementing EU sanctions, as well as identifying breaches and imposing penalties; - Implement fully the FDI Screening Regulation to address risks related to security or public order related to FDI from Russia and Belarus; and - Ensure full compliance with the requirements of the Anti-Money Laundering Directive to prevent the misuse of the EU financial system.