I guess that’s fine but - as with many already existing similar legislation - it really depends on how it’s put into practice.

I can see this being good for open source adoption. While the licenses are free, implementation and consulting are not, and can be offered by local companies.

I’d rather see the opposite, where there was a list of disfavoured nations. I get why they feel this is needed, but nationalism and protectionism have some nasty side-effects.

The European Commission unveiled on Wednesday a legislative proposal allowing EU public authorities to favour European companies in public procurement for key public services such as energy, water, railways, ports, airports and postal services.

So…let’s say that a company based in Europe obtains a contract to provide, say, port service. Ten years down the line, say, can they be acquired by a company based elsewhere?

What about obtaining a de facto controlling interest via one mechanism or another?