Brussels, 14/03/2016 (Agence Europe) - In seven months, the Juncker plan has attracted €76 billion in additional investments in Europe.
Speaking before the committee on the single market of the European Parliament on Monday 14 March, the Commissioner for Growth and Investment, Jyrki Katainen, took stock of the implementation of the Juncker plan, which is designed to draw down €315 billion in additional investments in Europe over three years.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved 56 projects which have received a public financial guarantee of €7.2 billion under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the financial arm of the Juncker plan. Half of these projects come from the renewable energy sector, the Commission said, referring to digital infrastructure and transport as other major sectors covered. On top of this come 150 projects approved by the European Investment Fund (EIF), which will benefit from a public guarantee from the EFSI to the tune of €3.4 billion.
In total, these operations will helped to attract “€76 billion” of additional investments, Katainen stressed. He also referred to the technical assistance made available by the EIB, which means that the initiatives can be optimally calibrated and the best possible matches created between project-owners and investors. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)