Lawmakers voted in favour of a corresponding bill on Monday, but will decide on the finer details at a later date.
The parliamentary chamber reached its decision by 16 votes to 29 with no abstentions. The House of Representatives had spoken in favour of the bill in the autumn session.
The Senate will only discuss the Investment Audit Act in detail at a later date. Firstly, the preliminary consultation committee will look at the bill in more detail.
The legislative project is based on a motion by Senator Beat Rieder. Although foreign investments would remain permitted in principle under the Investment Control Act, they would now be subject to authorisation. The state could intervene in the event of security concerns.
The House of Representatives tightened up the draft law last September. Specifically, it decided at the time that the investment review should also apply to non-state investors. In addition to public order and security, the supply of essential goods and services is explicitly mentioned as worthy of protection.
More
More
Switzerland edges closer to stricter screening of foreign investments
This content was published on
Foreign investors are set to face greater scrutiny in Switzerland as one parliamentary chamber passes the so-called Lex China bill.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
More
Switzerland’s account surplus fell to CHF10 billion in fourth quarter 2024
This content was published on
Switzerland's balance of payments showed a surplus of CHF42 billion in 2024 but declined in the last quarter compared to the previous year.
Digital crime rose by over a third in Switzerland in 2024
This content was published on
Digital crime in Switzerland has once again increased significantly. The number of offences committed digitally rose by 35% in 2024.
Study finds animal and human hearts beat in sync during horse therapy
This content was published on
In horse therapy, the heartbeats of humans and animals adapt to each other, report Swiss and Viennese researchers and therapists.
Swiss Red Cross director warns humanitarian situation could worsen in Ukraine
This content was published on
The Director of the Swiss Red Cross (SRC), Nora Kronig Romero, doesn't rule out a worsening of the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.
Swiss politicians want year-round opening of Gotthard pass
This content was published on
A motion signed by 60 parliamentarians wants to scrap the winter closure of the key north-south pass to reduce traffic jams.
Swiss army mediation service logs 850 cases in three years
This content was published on
The service, set up in 2022, has logged cases of overwork, conflicts with colleagues, and compatibility between military and civilian life.
Swiss economics minister ‘ready to discuss’ with US on tariffs
This content was published on
Switzerland has highlighted its contribution to the US economy as it seeks to avoid tariffs imposed by President Trump, Guy Parmelin says.
Swiss government rejects initiative to cap population
This content was published on
On Friday, the government outlined its arguments against a proposal by the Swiss People’s Party to limit the population to 10 million.
SWI swissinfo.ch – the international service of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC).
Since 1999, swissinfo.ch has fulfilled the federal government’s mandate to distribute information about Switzerland internationally, supplementing the online offerings of the radio and television stations of the SBC. Today, the international service is directed above all at an international audience interested in Switzerland, as well as at Swiss citizens living abroad.
The day after the German elections, the flagship Swiss index quickly slipped into the red before recovering to break through the 13,000-point barrier for the first time.