Company takeovers National Council wants to take a closer look at foreign investments

With the introduction of an investment review, takeovers of Swiss companies by foreign investors are to be subject to stricter controls. The National Council wants to go further than initially planned. The controls should also cover non-state investors.

The large chamber approved the new investment screening law on Tuesday in the overall vote by 142 votes to 48 with 3 abstentions. It had previously followed all the proposals of its Economic Affairs and Taxation Committee (WAK-N).

The latter extended the bill in several points and advocated a broad scope of application for the bill. Specifically, the National Council decided that the investment review should also apply to non-state investors and that, in addition to public order and security, the supply of essential goods and services should also be explicitly mentioned as worthy of protection.

The upper chamber also wants to increase the scope for the Federal Council to subject further companies to the approval requirement if necessary.

The bill now goes to the Council of States.

SDA