BRUSELAS, 7 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
This Thursday, the European Commission avoided commenting on whether they see a risk to the strategic security of the European Union due to the entry of the Saudi operator STC into the Spanish company Telefónica, although it recalled that there are European mechanisms that the Government can resort to to examine with Brussels whether there is a threat and measures should be taken.
“The European Commission is not in a position to comment on individual transactions of this nature, for reasons of confidentiality,” warned the community spokesperson for Commerce, Miriam García, when asked about the case at a press conference in Brussels.
Without wanting to expressly refer to the purchase by STC of a 9.9% stake in Telefónica for 2.1 billion euros, the community spokesperson explained that since October 2020 there has been a foreign direct investment (FDI) surveillance mechanism. in English) that allows “identifying and addressing possible threats” to security or public order within the European Union.
In the event that there may be an investment or company that generates a risk in the EU, the country involved can resort to the mechanism and also “consult” with the European Commission on the precise case.
“Then we decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether mitigation measures are necessary or (the operation) should be prohibited,” said García, and then stressed that the cases in which the veto would be contemplated are “very specific” and “within the framework of the European Union.”
