Screening of Foreign Direct Investments Through European Company Law

• Jurisdiction: European Union
• Author: Thomas Papadopoulos

Speaker

Thomas Papadopoulos is an Assistant Professor of Business Law at the Department of Law of the University of Cyprus. He received his DPhil in Law from the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, UK (2010). He received a degree of Magister Juris-MJur (2006) and a degree of MPhil in Law (2007) from the Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, UK. He also received his LLB with Distinction (ranked 1st) from the Department of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (2005). Previously, he was a visiting researcher at Harvard Law School (2009-10). He is also a Visiting Professor at International Hellenic University and an Attorney at law (Greece).

Moreover, he is an Editorial Secretary of European Company Law (ECL) Journal published by Kluwer. He was awarded the “Cyprus Research Award-Young Researcher (2014)” of the Research Promotion Foundation of the Republic of Cyprus (category of “Social Sciences & Humanities”). His main research areas are business law, company law, financial law, capital markets law, competition law, insolvency law, European economic law and internal market law.

Topic

This presentation delves into the intricate realm of foreign direct investments (FDIs) and their screening within the framework of European company law. With a keen focus on various crucial aspects, it sheds light on the multifaceted dynamics surrounding freedom of establishment and corporate mobility, privatisations and golden shares, and the pivotal role played by harmonising instruments in the screening process.

The first cornerstone explored in this presentation is the intricate interplay between freedom of establishment and corporate mobility in the context of FDIs. As European company law strives to strike a delicate balance between promoting cross-border business activities and safeguarding the interests of host member states, understanding the implications of these principles becomes essential for stakeholders and policymakers alike.

Next, the presentation unravels the complexities surrounding privatisations and golden shares in the context of FDIs. By delving into the legal frameworks governing these practices, it delves into the challenges and...