歐盟將加強外資并購審查

Brussels will call for more rigorous screening of foreign takeovers of European companies, as it seeks to address mounting concerns about a surge of Chinese investment into the bloc’s high-tech manufacturing, energy and infrastructure sectors.

歐盟(EU)將呼吁對外資收購歐洲公司的交易加大審查力度，因為它希望化解對于中國在歐盟高科技制造業(yè)、能源和基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施行業(yè)投資飆升的擔憂，這種擔憂正日益加劇。

Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president, is set to announce measures in a keynote speech in September to tackle perceived gaps in the EU’s armoury compared with the US and other major economies in vetting foreign takeovers in strategic sectors, according to people briefed on the talks.

據(jù)聽取了會談簡報的人士稱，歐盟委員會(European Commission)主席讓-克洛德•容克(Jean-Claude Juncker，見文首圖)將在9月份的一次主旨演講中宣布相關(guān)舉措，以消除歐盟在審查戰(zhàn)略性行業(yè)外資并購方面與美國和其他主要經(jīng)濟體的明顯差距。

The issue has risen up the EU’s political agenda due to growing fears that China may gain a technological edge by buying European know-how while heavily restricting the role it allows EU investors in its domestic market.

這個問題在歐盟政治議程上被提到了更高的級別，因為人們越來越擔心，中國可能會通過一面購買歐洲的技術(shù)、一面嚴格限制歐盟投資者在中國市場的活動，來獲取技術(shù)優(yōu)勢。

On Monday the US will launch an investigation into intellectual property rights, the first trade action against China under the Trump administration, because of similar concerns.

周一，出于類似的擔憂，美國將啟動一項知識產(chǎn)權(quán)調(diào)查，這將是自特朗普(Trump)上臺以來美國針對中國發(fā)起的首個貿(mào)易行動。

At present, only 13 of the EU’s 28 nations have formal systems for screening takeovers and other investments to assess whether they pose a threat to national security or public policy goals.

目前，在歐盟28個國家中，只有13個國家設(shè)有正式機制審查收購和其他投資，以評估這些交易是否對國家安全或公共政策目標構(gòu)成威脅。

“There is a sense that we need to reinforce our arsenal, to negotiate [with Beijing] with equal strength,” said André Sapir, senior fellow at the Bruegel think-tank.

智庫Bruegel高級研究員安德烈•薩皮爾(André Sapir)表示：“人們覺得我們需要加強我們的手段，以同樣的力量(與中國)談判。”

People involved in the talks on prospective EU measures said that plans will involve better co-ordination of existing national screening systems to encourage the use of similar criteria across the bloc on whether to permit foreign acquisitions.

參加有關(guān)歐盟未來舉措會談的人士表示，相關(guān)計劃將包括加強協(xié)調(diào)各國現(xiàn)有的審查制度，以鼓勵整個歐盟在是否允許外資并購的問題上采用同樣的標準。

The commission is also considering a more controversial proposal to introduce EU-level investment screening, which could apply to takeovers of companies that have received EU funding.

歐盟委員會還在考慮一項更具爭議的提議，即引入歐盟層面的投資審查制度，這可能適用于針對獲得歐盟融資的公司的收購。

A commission spokesman said Brussels was aware of concerns related to foreign investment in strategic sectors and that Mr Juncker had set up a group of commissioners “to elaborate first possible actions” for his September speech.

歐盟委員會一發(fā)言人表示，布魯塞爾方面明白與戰(zhàn)略性行業(yè)外國投資相關(guān)的擔憂，他還表示，容克組建了一個專員小組，為他9月份的演講“擬定首批可能采取的措施”。

More generally, many Europeans are frustrated at takeovers by Chinese state-owned enterprises and the lack of progress in talks with Beijing on an investment deal that would increase access to the Chinese market.

更普遍來說，很多歐洲人對中國國有企業(yè)的收購感到沮喪，對歐中之間一項將擴大中國市場準入的投資協(xié)議談判進展緩慢感到失望。

According to a report by the Mercator Institute for China Studies and the Rhodium Group, Chinese FDI into the EU reached around €35bn in 2016, an increase of more than two-thirds on the year before.

根據(jù)墨卡托中國研究中心(Mercator Institute for China Studies)和榮鼎咨詢(Rhodium Group)的一份報告，2016年，中國對歐盟的外商直接投資(FDI)達到350億歐元左右，比上年增長逾三分之二。