United Kingdom: Inward/ Foreign Investment

Angela Gregson of Weightmans and Sean Ryan of Whitney Moore compare Ireland's new foreign direct investment screening regime with the UK's established National Security and Investment Act, examining when notification is required, key procedural differences, and practical steps to navigate both frameworks. The analysis draws on recent annual reports to reveal how these regimes are operating in practice and what reforms are on the horizon.

The UK Cabinet Office's fifth Annual Report on the National Security and Investment Act 2021 reveals a striking paradox: while the number of transactions reviewed under the regime continues to grow rapidly, the proportion of deals ultimately subject to intervention has fallen to its lowest level since the NSIA entered into force. This raises critical questions for dealmakers about whether the mandatory notification regime is capturing an increasing number of deals that pose little or no national security co

On 4 May 2026, the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (“ECON”) published its draft report (the “Draft Report”)...