19/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - Juncker Plan: EFSI operational in mid-September. On Friday 19 June, the Ecofin Council welcomed the interinstitutional agreement reached in early June on the proposal for a regulation establishing the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI - see EUROPE 11329). This agreement will be ratified by the European Parliament on Wednesday 24 June. The regulation will enter into force at the start of July so that the EFSI is fully operational from mid-September. EIB President Werner Hoyer said he thought the issue of state aid - linked to the participation of national investment banks in the Juncker Plan - would continue to “haunt” the Ecofin Council. Sweden is concerned at the increase in the mobilisation of annual budget margins to finance the guarantee from the EU budget on which the EFSI will be based. (MB)