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21 June 2006, Paris, France

A number of OECD and non-member countries are taking or considering action to discourage foreign takeovers of enterprises judged sensitive. The motivations go beyond just national defence, to include energy security or protection of technologies considered vital to national sovereignty. Some stated concerns relate to the emergence of new major players as investors.

The OECD Investment Committee is working on helping policy makers to find ways to safeguard legitimate national security and essential public interests while at the same time keeping their investment regimes transparent and non-discriminatory and thus continuing to reap the demonstrated benefits of free international investment flows.

As a first step the Investment Committee organised on 21 June 2006 a Roundtable on Freedom of Investment, National Security and ‘Strategic’ Industries. The purpose of the Roundtable was to solicit input from specially-invited practitioners and policy makers regarding the directions such work could take.  For more information, download the Summary of Discussions from the Roundtable.