CELIS 23: Advancing Economic Security and Investment Screening in Europe

CIPE is a patron of the upcoming CELIS Forum on Investment Screening and Economic Security (CFIS 2023), a highly anticipated conference of global experts and government leaders in Prague. This will happen just ahead of the US-EU Summit in Washington. CIPE Europe Program Director Jeff Lightfoot previews both events, along with a groundbreaking new CIPE initiative.

CELIS 23 Forum will showcase the thought leadership of CIPE experts and partners throughout Europe and Asia, as well as progress on top programs to support economic security and resilience.

US President Joe Biden will host EU Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the White House for a US-EU summit on October 20. Top agenda items will involve discussing ways to strengthen transatlantic collaboration on economic security. Talks are expected to cover a number of specific topics including: coordination on investment screening approaches, export controls, critical raw materials policy, and supply chain security. To advance these critical conversations around economic security and resilience, the leaders must also consider new ways to build bridges and collaborative approaches with private sector leaders. These themes speak to CIPE’s core mission and are a key focus of the organization’s newly-launched Transatlantic Market and Democracy Initiative, which is co-located in Bratislava, Slovakia and Washington and intended to galvanize private sector leadership in dialogue on a variety of economic security matters.

Ahead of the US-EU summit, CIPE and its network of experts are organizing platforms and high-level events to share new thinking and information about programs that are making an impact. One key opportunity is the October 11-13 CELIS Institute Forum on Investment Screening and Economic Security (CFIS 23), which CIPE supports along with the Czech Ministry of Trade and Industry in Prague and many other sponsors.


The Forum, now in its fifth year, is considered Europe’s lead venue for expert discussion and debate, both public and private, on investment screening and economic security. The conference attracts hundreds of in-person and online attendees from around the world, including global policy-makers, business and legal experts, as well as leaders of civil society. Public roundtable themes include: “Outward Investment Screening: Between Risk Diversification, Technology Denial, and the Return of Capital Controls” and “Building Resilience: Understanding the Development of Economic Security Policy Legislation Beyond the EU.”

Among this year’s featured speakers:

  • Bijan Sabet, U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic
  • Denis Redonnet, European Commission Deputy Director-General and Chief Trade Enforcement Officer
  • Paul Rosen, U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
  • Damien Levie, European Commission Head of Unit for Technology & Security, FDI Screening at DG Trade

CIPE Board Vice Chairman Dr. Kim Holmes and Managing Director of Programs Abdu Alkebsi will lead the CIPE conference delegation and hold private meetings with business association representatives and think tank partners from across the region. They will also announce new details about activities and resources for CIPE’s  Transatlantic Market and Democracy Initiative.

As a prelude to the Forum, the European Values Center, a CIPE economic security partner located in the Czech Republic, will host a roundtable with senior officials from Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Croatia. They will hear perspectives on economic security from Czechia and Japan. One of Japan’s leading experts on economic security, Dr. Akira Igata of the University of Tokyo, will moderate the discussion. Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jan Marian will host a separate dinner event at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the European Values Center and others, including officials from the U.S. Departments of State, Treasury, and Commerce. CIPE program partners participating in the events and panels include the Institute for Democracy, Skopje, AmCham Moldova, and the International Chamber of Commerce Albania.

CIPE just released a resource document on New Approaches for Effective Investment Screening that will be shared at the upcoming events. CIPE leaders will also participate in the October 15-17 Forum 2000 Conference to be held in Prague. This year’s theme is “For a Democratic World Order.” Watch cipe.org for more information about CIPE’s plans and fresh updates about the organization’s new Transatlantic Market and Democracy Initiative, which includes efforts such as the recently announced Arctic Business Dialogue Network Assessment.

Published Date: October 09, 2023