The National Foreign Direct Investment Screening Office (NFDIS) has been set up in order to implement the provisions of Chapter 620 of the Laws of Malta. The scope and remit of the Office shall be to screen foreign direct investments, originating from third countries (that is, any country which is not a member of the EU), on grounds of security and public order.
The purpose of the screening process is to protect European Union intelligence, knowledge, and technology, as well as its security interests.
The sectors which shall be subject to screening include the following:
(a) critical infrastructure, whether physical or virtual, including energy, transport, water, health, communications, media, data processing or storage, aerospace, defence, electoral or financial infrastructure, and sensitive facilities, as well as land and real estate crucial for the use of such infrastructure;
(b) critical technologies and dual use items as defined in point 1 of Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 428/2009 (15), including artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductors, cybersecurity, aerospace, defense, energy storage, quantum and nuclear technologies as well as nanotechnologies and biotechnologies;
(c) supply of critical inputs, including energy or raw materials, as well as food security;
(d) access to sensitive information, including personal data, or the ability to control such information; and
(e) the freedom and pluralism of the media.
Read more about the National FDI Screening Office – Malta