Page 5 - ePaper
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. What did the Commission propose today, what are the elements of the
proposal?
The European Commission adopted the legislative proposal to put in place the European
Fund for Strategic Investments, which is at the very heart of President Juncker's €315 billion
Investment Offensive. The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) will mobilise
additional investments in the real economy in areas including infrastructure, education,
research, innovation, renewable energy and energy efficiency. It will also focus on SMEs and
mid-cap companies (companies with between 250 and 3000 employees). The EFSI should
target projects that promote job-creation, long-term growth and competitiveness. The
proposal also sets up a European Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) to provide advisory
support to project identification, preparation and development across the Union. Finally, a
European Investment Project Pipeline will improve investors' knowledge of existing and
potential future projects, with no guarantee that these projects will be financed by the EFSI.
Further details can be found in the press release.
2. What are the next steps?
2.1 Establishing the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the European
Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) and the transparent pipeline of projects.
Council negotiations are expected to kick-off on 19 January 2015 in an ad-hoc Working
Group established for the Investment Plan for Europe. Work in the European Parliament is
also expected to start shortly. It is expected that the co-legislators agree on the text by June
so that the EFSI can be operational by mid-2015.
2.2. Removing barriers to investment
As a further element of the Investment Plan, the European Commission is working to
remove regulatory barriers to investment and strengthen the Single Market. A first set of
actions is set out in the Commission's 2015 Work Programme.
3. When will EFSI be operational?
The Commission proposal has to be adopted under the "ordinary legislative procedure" (co-
decision) by the Union legislators, the European Parliament and Council as swiftly as
possible so that new investments can start flowing from mid-2015. At the December
European Council, heads of state and government urged "the Union legislators (…) to agree
on [the proposal] by June, so that the new investments can be activated as early as mid-
2015."
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1. What did the Commission propose today, what are the elements of the
proposal?
The European Commission adopted the legislative proposal to put in place the European
Fund for Strategic Investments, which is at the very heart of President Juncker's €315 billion
Investment Offensive. The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) will mobilise
additional investments in the real economy in areas including infrastructure, education,
research, innovation, renewable energy and energy efficiency. It will also focus on SMEs and
mid-cap companies (companies with between 250 and 3000 employees). The EFSI should
target projects that promote job-creation, long-term growth and competitiveness. The
proposal also sets up a European Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) to provide advisory
support to project identification, preparation and development across the Union. Finally, a
European Investment Project Pipeline will improve investors' knowledge of existing and
potential future projects, with no guarantee that these projects will be financed by the EFSI.
Further details can be found in the press release.
2. What are the next steps?
2.1 Establishing the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the European
Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) and the transparent pipeline of projects.
Council negotiations are expected to kick-off on 19 January 2015 in an ad-hoc Working
Group established for the Investment Plan for Europe. Work in the European Parliament is
also expected to start shortly. It is expected that the co-legislators agree on the text by June
so that the EFSI can be operational by mid-2015.
2.2. Removing barriers to investment
As a further element of the Investment Plan, the European Commission is working to
remove regulatory barriers to investment and strengthen the Single Market. A first set of
actions is set out in the Commission's 2015 Work Programme.
3. When will EFSI be operational?
The Commission proposal has to be adopted under the "ordinary legislative procedure" (co-
decision) by the Union legislators, the European Parliament and Council as swiftly as
possible so that new investments can start flowing from mid-2015. At the December
European Council, heads of state and government urged "the Union legislators (…) to agree
on [the proposal] by June, so that the new investments can be activated as early as mid-
2015."
5
