High turnup at the workshop on investment platforms

The workshop, an initiative of Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, was designed to communicate the latest efforts of the Commission and its partners to promote the set-up of investment platforms, which under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), are geographic or sector-focussed initiatives designed to mobilise public and private funds for smaller or riskier projects that address EU policy objectives. 35 investment platforms have so far been approved under the EFSI, and the Commission and EIB see potential for more.

The workshop also aimed to reinforce relationships and cooperation between institutions with an important role in realising the Investment Plan for Europe. Vice-President Katainen and EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle both emphasised the importance and willingness of their institutions to work with national promotional banks, multilateral development banks, and the private sector.

In the afternoon, participants actively engaged in discussions about potential opportunities for investment platforms in key policy domains, such as urban development, resource efficiency, the circular economy, social infrastructure and capital market expansion. These productive discussions have already led to several follow-up actions by participants.

The organisation of the workshop follows the recent publication by the Commission of a short guide to setting up investment platforms that was a response to demand from public authorities and other stakeholders.

The event was a true joint effort involving many of the Commission directorates general (ECFIN, REGIO, AGRI, GROW, FISMA, MOVE, ENER, RTD, MARE), as well as Eurostat, the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund.