The biggest misunderstanding of the new national security system of the British management acquisition is that it is just a Foreign buyer review system British company.

Its scope is much more than that.And a lot of Recently Published Government guidance Before the National Security and Investment Law went into effect in January, it only emphasized how much the company, dealmakers, and investors have changed—and how difficult it is to gauge how these new powers will be used.

The law is described as the British version of Cfius, the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment. But in essence, it is completely different. The clue is in the name: Cfius focuses on foreign investment, while the British regime focuses on national security.

So the rules-for example, if you buy a British company or equity, you need to give a mandatory notice to the government 17 sensitive industries — Applicable to British and foreign buyers. According to lawyers, the system can even capture internal company reorganizations.

The government has narrowed the definitions of the 17 most risky industries, but they are still quite vague. The system also includes assets that are not subject to mandatory reporting through the option to invoke transactions. Its sphere of influence extends far beyond the borders of the United Kingdom.

Companies and assets do not have to be located in the UK to be subject to review: the test is whether they participate in activities in the UK, or whether they participate in the supply of goods and services in the UK.

Therefore, it is entirely possible that transactions between two foreign companies fall within the scope of the rules. Not below the size threshold of the transaction exemption. Failure to follow the process and seek approval when needed can mean that the transaction is “invalid”, with fines of up to £10 million, or 5% of annual sales.

Nicole Carr The bottom line is: “It is difficult for a company and its consultants to say’this is what the government is interested in’. There is no basic test or definition of national security. Policy statement The call is still broad enough to cover a wide range of issues. “

Indeed, Britain’s laissez-faire attitude towards acquisitions needs to be updated, especially because technology has changed the tone of potential threats, and global sentiment has run counter to the old “open business” attitude. Four of the 15 transactions investigated by the government on security grounds under the rules implemented since 2002 were conducted this year, which shows that stricter methods have become a reality.

A terrible warning The “chilling effect” of inward investment Generally overused. But deliberate ambiguity increases uncertainty. In the government’s estimated system, it may mean 1,000-1,800 notifications per year and may intervene in transactions 10 times.

After the new rules come into effect, there will be no more information to collect: the government has stated that it will not disclose transactions for which it requires further evaluation (although listed companies may have to do so), nor will it announce any temporary document orders, just like competition and the market. The Authority is currently doing it.

The result is a broad, ill-defined system that lacks transparency—and this may be the point.

The government has removed the explicit reference to economic factors from its latest statement on how these powers might be used. But this instead acknowledges this. In a document that must be updated regularly by the commercial secretary, different people at different times may have completely different views on h.How employment, work, and skills work National Security.

“The NSI Act is not a system for screening all acquisitions in the economy,” the policy statement read. Maybe not. But it looks more like an option-for this or any future government.

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