Priority 1 - Jobs, Growth and Investment

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Providing loans and guarantees

Jobs, Growth and Competitiveness

Growth and Investment within the limits of the  EU's Stability and Growth Pact

Bureaucracy reduction

European Commission Work Program 2019

Investment Package for Europe (,,Juncker Plan")

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A sustainable European Future

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European Commission Work Program 2018

Delivering on the Circular Economy Action Plan

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On the 22th of May 2018, EU member states approved a set of measures to make the EU's waste legislation fit for the future, as part of the EU's wider circular economy policy. The three new Directives - which are based on the European Commission's Circular Economy package of proposals presented in December 2015 - aim to prevent waste and, where this is not possible, significantly step up recycling of municipal and packaging waste. Landfilling will be phased out, whereas the use of economic instruments, such as Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, will be promoted. The new legislation aims to strengthen the "waste hierarchy" obligating member states to take specific measures to prioritise prevention, re-use and recycling above landfilling and incineration. (More7)

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On the 16th of January 2018, the first-ever Europe-wide strategy on plastics was adopted. It is a part of the transition towards a more circular economy. Under the new plans, all plastic packaging on the EU market is to be recyclable by 2030, the consumption of single-use plastics should be reduced and the intentional use of microplastics is meant to be restricted. (More)

Multi-annual fincancial framework

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On the 2nd of May 2018, European Commission put forward a proposal for a long-term budget ("multi-annual financial framework, MFF") for the 2021-2027 period. Overall, the Commission proposes a long-term budget of 1,135 billion euro in commitments. As compared to the previous MFF, the Commission proposes to multiply budget allocations in "Research, Innovation & Digital" by factor 1.6  and in "Youth" by 2.2. At the same time, the Commission proposed reductions to the budget allocations to the Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion Policy to reflect the new context and to free up resources for other activities. More investments are especially proposed on the policy fields in which the added value of common EU action is expected to be high. These areas include: research, migration, border control or defence. A major innovation in the proposed budget is the strengthened link between EU funding and the rule of law in the member states. To achieve this, the Commission has proposed a Regulation for a rule of law mechanism. (More

A sustainable European future

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Investment Package for Europe ("Juncker Plan")

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  • On the 18th of July 2018, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced that the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) has mobilised 335 billion euro in additional investment across the EU since July 2015, under the Investment Plan for Europe ("Juncker Plan"). Backed by a budget guarantee from the European Union and own resources from the EIB Group, 898 operations have been approved, which are expected to trigger 335 billion euro in investment across the 28 EU member states. This is more than the original goal of 315 billion euro set in 2015 when EFSI was launched, helping to close the investment gap left as a result of the financial and economic crisis. 700.000 small and medium-sized companies are set to benefit from improved access to finance. Given the EFSI's success, the European Council and the European Parliament on the 13th of September 2017 agreed to extend its duration and capacity to 500 billion euro by end-2020. (More12)
  • On the 13th of December 2017, the Regulation13 on the extension of the duration of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) until the end of the current multiannual financial framework in 2020 came into effect. The extension should enable the EFSI to provide at least 500 billion euro of total investments by 2020.  
  • On the 19th of October 2017, the European Commission announced that the "The Investment Plan for Europe - the Juncker Plan" is expected to trigger 240.9 billion euro in investments. This represents just over three-quarters of the 315 billion euro target of total investments mobilised that was originally earmarked. According to the European Investment Bank's (EIB), operations so far approved under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) have a total financing volume of 47.4 billion euro and are located in all 28 member states. Around 461,000 small and medium-sized businesses are expected to benefit from improved access to finance as a result of agreements supported by the Plan. The Commission and the EIB Group estimate that the EFSI has so far supported 300,000 jobs across the EU. By 2020 that figure should be 700,000. (More14)
  • On the 13th of September 2017 - one year after Commission President Juncker announced the proposal in his State of the Union speech - the European Parliament and member states came to an agreement in principle on the extension and strengthening of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the core of the Investment Plan for Europe. The agreement extends the EFSI's duration as well as it increases its financial capacity. The EFSI's initial three-year timeline (2015-2018) is now extended to 2020 (the end of the current Multiannual Financial Framework). The target of investment to be triggered is increased from 315 billion euro to at least half a trillion euro by 2020. (More15)
  • On the 23rd of December 2016, the European Commission put forward an preliminary evaluation of the "Investment Plan for Europe". In 18 months since the EFSI guarantee was launched, the EIB Group loans backed via the EFSI fund have moved beyond the halfway point of the initial target of mobilising 315 billion euro in additional investments in the real economy by 2018. As of December 2016, the operations approved under the Investment Plan for Europe now represent a total financing volume of 30.6 billion euro . These operations are now present in all 28 Member States and are intended to trigger total investments of over EUR 164 billion. (More16)
  • On the 14th of September 2016, the European Commission issued a Proposal for a Regulation on Extending the Duration of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) - one year after the EFSI took up operations. Through the involvement of private investors, President Juncker and Vice-President Katainen aim to leverage the initial fund allocation of 21 billion euro to a total investment of 315 billion euro. According to the Commission, roughly one-third has been achieved. EFSI funds of 12.8 billion euro have so far kicked off 249 projects amounting to 100 billion euro of total investments. This equals a leverage effect of 8. Yet the intended leverage factor 15 has not been reached so far. On top of that, the Commission launched another element of the Investment Plan, the European Investment Project Portal (EIPP), an online platform bringing together European project promoters and investors from the EU and beyond. (More)
  • On the 11th of July 2016 the European Commission adopted two new "off-the-shelf", i.e. "ready-to-use" financial instruments for EFSI investments, to ease access to funding for young businesses and urban development project promoters. A collective co-investment facility to provide funding to start-ups and SMEs, enabling them to develop their business models and attract additional funding. Total investment combining public and private resources can amount to up to 15 million euro per SME. Urban development funds, to support sustainable urban projects, in public transport, energy efficiency or the regeneration of urban areas. Total investment combining public and private resources can amount to up to 20 million euro per project. (More)
  • On the 22nd of February 2016 the European Commission, in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB), published guidelines to help local authorities and project promoters make full use of the opportunities of combining European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds with the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI). (More)
  • On the 25th of June 2015, the Regulation on the European Fund for Strategic Investments went into effect.
  • On the 13th of January 2015 the European Commission presented a Proposal for a Regulation on the European Fund for Strategic Investments and amending Regulations (EU) No 1291/2013 and (EU) No 1316/2013. This proposal sets outs the legal framework necessary to implement the first two strands of the ‘Investment Plan for Europe.’ The purpose of the EFSI shall be to support investments in the Union and to ensure increased access to financing for companies having up to 3000  employees, with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises, through the supply of risk bearing capacity to the EIB ('EFSI Agreement'). As for the budgetary implications, the EU guarantee provided for the EFSI amounts to 16 billion euro and is fully available from the entry into force of this Regulation. For the event of potential calls on the guarantee, a guarantee fund is created and provisioned for 50 per cent of total EU guarantee obligations by 2020. (press release)

     

European Commission Work Program 2017

Youth Initiative 

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On the 30th of May 2017, the European Commission adopted new initiatives on school and higher education, including a proposal on graduate tracking to help Member States collect information on what graduates do after their studies. (More)

Implementation of the Action Plan on Circular Economy

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On the 27th of January 2017, one year after adopting its Circular Economy Package, the Commission published a report on the delivery and progress of key initiatives of its 2015 Action Plan.Together with the report, the Commission also:

  • took further measures by establishing a Circular Economy Finance Support Platform with the European Investment Bank (EIB) bringing together investors and innovators,
  • issued guidance to Member States on converting waste to energy, 
  • proposed a targeted improvement of legislation on certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.
    To showcase the key deliverables achieved so far and to debate future deliverables with stakeholders, the Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee are organising a Circular Economy Conference on 9-10 March 2017. On this occasion the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform will be announced. (More)

Financial framework

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Investment Package for Europe ("Juncker Fonds")

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  • On the 13th of December 2017, the Regulation on the extension of the duration of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) until the end of the current multiannual financial framework in 2020 came into effect. The extension should enable the EFSI to provide at least 500 billion euro of total investments by 2020.  
  • On the 19th of October 2017, the European Commission announced that the "The Investment Plan for Europe - the Juncker Plan" is expected to trigger 240.9 billion euro in investments. This represents just over three-quarters of the 315 billion euro target of total investments mobilised that was originally earmarked. According to the European Investment Bank's (EIB), operations so far approved under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) have a total financing volume of 47.4 billion euro and are located in all 28 member states. Around 461,000 small and medium-sized businesses are expected to benefit from improved access to finance as a result of agreements supported by the Plan. The Commission and the EIB Group estimate that the EFSI has so far supported 300,000 jobs across the EU. By 2020 that figure should be 700,000. (More)
  • On the 13th of September 2017 - one year after Commission President Juncker announced the proposal in his State of the Union speech - the European Parliament and member states came to an agreement in principle on the extension and strengthening of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the core of the Investment Plan for Europe. The agreement extends the EFSI's duration as well as it increases its financial capacity. The EFSI's initial three-year timeline (2015-2018) is now extended to 2020 (the end of the current Multiannual Financial Framework). The target of investment to be triggered is increased from 315 billion euro to at least half a trillion euro by 2020. (More)
  • On the 23rd of December 2016, the European Commission put forward an preliminary evaluation of the "Investment Plan for Europe". In 18 months since the EFSI guarantee was launched, the EIB Group loans backed via the EFSI fund have moved beyond the halfway point of the initial target of mobilising 315 billion euro in additional investments in the real economy by 2018. As of December 2016, the operations approved under the Investment Plan for Europe now represent a total financing volume of 30.6 billion euro . These operations are now present in all 28 Member States and are intended to trigger total investments of over EUR 164 billion. (More)
  • On the 11th of July 2016 the European Commission adopted two new "off-the-shelf", i.e. "ready-to-use" financial instruments for ESI Funds investments, to ease access to funding for young businesses and urban development project promoters. Already compliant with the ESI Funds Regulation and State Aid rules, "off-the-shelf" financial instruments are designed to increase the take-up by Member States of revolving financial support rather than traditional grants, and to combine public and private resources.The two new instruments launched are: (1) A co-investment facility to provide funding to start-ups and SMEs. This support will enable them to develop their business models and attract additional funding through a collective investment scheme managed by one main financial intermediary. Total investment combining public and private ressources can amount to up to €15 million per SME. (2) Urban development funds to support sustainable urban projects, in public transport, energy efficiency or the regeneration of urban areas. These projects must be financially viable and part of an Integrated Sustainable Urban Development strategy. Total investment combining public and private resources can amount to up to €20 million per project. (More)
  • One year after the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) came into force, the European Commission on the 1st of June 2016 proposed to extend EFSI beyond 2018. Through the involvement of private investors, the Commission aims to leverage the initial fund allocation of 21 billion euro to a total investment of 315 billion. According to the Commission roughly one-third has been achieved. 249 projects amounting to 100 billion euro have been kicked off, yet the intended leverage factor 15 has not been reached so far. EFSI funds of 12,8 billion euro have triggered total investments of 100 billion euro. This equals a leverage effect of 8. On top of that, the Commission launched another element of the Investment Plan, the European Investment Project Portal (EIPP), an online platform bringing together European project promoters and investors from the EU and beyond. (More)
  • On the 22nd of February 2016 the European Commission, in partnership with the European Investment Bank (EIB), published guidelines to help local authorities and project promoters make full use of the opportunities of combining European Structural and Investment (ESI) Funds with the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), all part of the Investment Plan for Europe. These guidelines provide an overview of the possible combinations of EFSI and ESI Funds, either at project level or through a financial instrument such as an investment platform. These two funds reinforce each other as they have been designed in a different but complementary way in terms of rationale, design, and legislative framework. (More)
  • On the 13th of January 2015 the Commission presented its legislative proposal for its ‘Investment Plan for Europe.’ The proposal creates the necessary legal framework and provides the budgetary allocations for the first two strands of the Plan in the framework of the EU's legal order. (More)

European Commission Work Program 2016

New Skills Agenda for Europe

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On the 10th of June 2016 the European Commission adopted a new and comprehensive Skills Agenda for Europe. The aim is to ensure that people develop a broad set of skills from early on in life and to make the most of Europe’s human capital, which will ultimately boost employability, competitiveness and growth in Europe. This New Skills Agenda for Europe calls on Member States and stakeholders to improve the quality of skills and their relevance for the labour market. (More)

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On the 1st of December 2016 the EU Commission launched the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition, together with Member States, companies, social partners, NGOs and education providers, to help meet the high demand for digital skills in Europe which are essential in the job market and society. The Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition is one of the ten key initiatives proposed by the EU Commission under the New Skills Agenda for Europe, presented in June 2016. A series of partners, including over 30 organisations and groups such as European Digital SME Alliance, ESRI, SAP, ECDL and Google are pledging to further reduce the digital skills gap as part of the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition. The Commission called on more stakeholders to join the Coalition and endorse its Charter. (More)

New start for working parents

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On the 13th of July 2016 the EU Commission launched a second-stage consultation with social partner organisations at European level. The aim of the consultation is to seek their views on how to reduce obstacles to women's participation in the labour market, by improving work-life balance and possibilities for women and men to make use of their rights more equally. This consultation follows a first-stage social partner consultation and a broad public consultation, which closed earlier on the 17th of February 201628. (More29

Circular Economy Package 

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On the 1st of August 2016, the European Commission published the composition of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste announced in the 2015 EU Action Plan for Circular Economy. The Platform brings together 70 member organisations, both from the public and private sectors, in order to maximise the contribution of all actors and support achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 12: to halve per capita food waste at the retail and consumer level by 2030, as well as to reduce food losses along the food production and supply chains. (More)

Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020

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On the 14th of September 2016 the Commission presented its mid-term review of the multiannual EU budget (2014-2020). Without touching the upper spending limits agreed with the European Parliament and Council, the proposed package will free up an additional €6,3 billion in financing by 2020. The money will go to foster job creation, investment and economic growth and to address migration and its root causes. It also makes proposals how to make the EU budget better equipped and quicker to respond to unforeseen circumstances, while financial rules will be simplified and focused on results (More)

Next steps for a sustainable European future

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On the 22nd of November 2017 the EU Commission presented a communication on the next steps for a sustainable European future, encompassing the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, as well as governance, within the EU and globally. (More)

European Commission Work Program 2015

"Juncker Funds"

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On the 13th of January 2015 the Commission presented its legislative proposal for its ‘Investment Plan for Europe.’ The proposal creates the necessary legal framework and provides the budgetary allocations for the first two strands of the Plan in the framework of the EU's legal order. (More)

Promoting Labour Integration and Employability

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On the 20th of May 2015 the Council and the European Parliament adopted the proposal for a regulation to increase financing of operational programms of the Youth Employment Initiative which was put forward by the Commission. (More)

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On the 17th of September 2015 European Commission proposed guidance to Member States to better help long-term unemployed return to work.This proposal foresees that all jobseekers who have been jobless for more than 12 months receive an individual assessment and that they receive a job integration agreement, offering them a concrete and personalised plan back to work before reaching 18 months of unemployment. (More)

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On the 15th of February 2016 the Council adopted the Commission's proposal of 17th of September 2015 for a Recommendation on integrating the long-term unemployed into the labour market. Furthermore the Council recommends to the EU Commission to

  • Support and coordinate voluntary initiatives and alliances of companies engaged in the sustainable integration of long-term unemployed persons into the labour market.
  • Support social innovation projects to integrate long-term unemployed persons into the labour market, in particular through the Progress section of the Union Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI). (More)

Reviewing the Europe 2020 strategy

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On the 2nd of March 2015 the European Commission published the results of its public consultation held in 2014 on the Europe 2020 strategy. Proposals to review EU’s ten-year jobs and growth strategy will be presented before the end of 2015. (More)

ZEI Related Publications

Moving forward to a circular economy - turning the challenge into opportunity

Daniela Stoycheva

ZEI Insights, Nr. 63 April 2019.

A fairy tale: How robust are the EFSI success numbers? Von Jessica Gaitskell Nr. 62 April 2019

Jessica Gaitskell

ZEI Insights, Nr. 62 April 2019.

Erasmus Plus: Countering Populism through Education von Sarah Gansen Nr. 47 März 2017

Sarah Gansen

ZEI Insights, Nr. 47 März 2017.

The EIB and European Cohesion Policy: An Effective Trade-off between Growth and Convergence?

Malin Berg von Linde

ZEI Insights, Nr. 42 August 2016.

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