German govt wants to examine stake purchases by non-EU states in key healthcare firms

The German government needs to be informed of purchases of stakes in key healthcare companies by countries outside the European Union in good time in the future so it can examine them, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Tuesday. "This applies to vaccines, medicines, and medical protective equipment, for example," he said in a statement.

"This is how we can prevent medical know-how and production capacity that is key for the population's healthcare from going abroad. The coronavirus crisis we're currently experiencing shows this is a necessity," he added. In the future, the government will be able to examine investments of 10% or more by investors outside the EU.