On May 12, Deputy Head of the European Commission (EC) Margrethe Vestager, during a briefing in Brussels, said that the EC proposed to restrict access to foreign state-owned companies and private business, which receives large foreign state subsidies, access to tenders and large investments in the EU countries.
During the coronavirus crisis, the dependence of a number of sectors of the European economy, including energy and health, on strategic supplies from outside the EU became apparent. Brussels also fears that the pandemic is contributing to a decrease in the value of European companies, which investors from third countries can take advantage of. According to the Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, with its proposal the European Commission "closes the gap in the existing set of rules to ensure that all companies compete on equal terms."
According to the Associated Press, the proposed restrictive measures will primarily affect Chinese investors, who have been active in Europe for many years.
Earlier, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling on the EU leadership to impose sanctions on Russia and reconsider relations with it.
