FDI Screening in the European Union: A Dual Bibliometric and Descriptive Analysis

The ongoing geopolitical dynamics and the structural vulnerabilities of the European Union regarding competitiveness and the significant degree of technological dependence on third countries have prompted European forums to reorient their investment policies under the concept of economic security. This article analyzes the impact and implementation of FDI screening mechanisms for examining foreign direct investment in the European energy sector, an area relevant to the strategic autonomy of the EU. From a methodological point of view, the research is based on a dual approach. In the first stage, a quantitative bibliometric analysis was carried out by querying the Web of Science database and processing the resulting data using VOSviwer software to identify trends in academic discourse in the field. Subsequently, the paper resorted to a descriptive analysis of the national legislative frameworks of 23 European Union states that have implemented FDI screening mechanisms, with a focus on the energy sector. The research results revealed the absence of a cluster at the intersection of the concepts of FDI screening and energy security, but in the analysis of legislation, the energy issue is addressed uniformly across the 23 states. This paper provides an additional argument for the transition from the investment liberalism practiced until now at the EU level to the adoption of defensive measures related to capital flows controlled by third countries.