ROME (Reuters – Italy’s Parliament has expanded Rome’s special vetting power to safeguard its national assets. It included the hydroelectric sector as well as new companies who plan to work in strategic industries, lawmakers announced Monday.

Premier Minister Mario Draghi’s 15-month-old government has set conditions for scores of mergers using its “golden power” and blocked many attempts by China to expand its participation in the third-largest country in eurozone.

These changes were approved overnight by the Senate. They are part of a government decree originally created to improve anti-takeover regulation for the defense and telecoms industries.

A notification must be sent to the government to establish a company in strategic areas if a non EU firm holds a greater than 10% share, according to a parliamentary document.

An amendment added that companies owning major hydroelectric concessions such as dams are also eligible for the golden power.

Andrea Cioffi (senator with 5-Star Movement), who supported the measure, stated that “the extension of the gold power to the hydroelectric industry is a decisive move towards the ecological transition”

The Italian government plans to strengthen its scrutiny of corporate takeovers and will soon create a special division that oversees merger deals between strategic companies.