On Thursday, September 21, 2017, the European American Chamber of Commerce along with the European Investment Bank hosted a panel discussion on the investment plan for Europe at the European Union Delegation to the United Nations.

The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), established in 2015, as an initiative to help overcome the investment gap in the European Union (EU), was jointly launched as one of three pillars of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and the European Commission to facilitate the implementation of the Investment Plan for Europe which aims to mobilize private financing for strategic investments in the order of EUR 315 bn by 2020.

   

EU Ambassador to the United Nations, Joao Vale de Almeida, welcomed the panel, and was followed by Ambroise Fayolle, Vice President of the European Investment Bank, who highlighted the important role of the EFSI in closing the investment gap in the SME sector

Tom Buerkle, Associate Editor at Thomson Reuters moderated the panel, which included Luca Lazzaroli, Director General & Deputy Head of Operations of the European Investment Bank, Jan Ståhlberg, Vice Chairman of EQT Partners AB, James Rosener, President of the European American Chamber of Commerce New York and Philippe Sollie, Executive Chairman of  FlenHealth. Panelists discussed the results to date, showcased EFSI support to SMEs, innovation, and infrastructure, and outlined the plans for the future.

Questions addressed by our panel included:
* Where we stand with the investment gap in Europe, and the basic concept of EFSI.
* Best practices that have been developed for the Investment Plan for Europe.
* How US and European investors can engage with the EIB and how they can get involved in this unique initiative.
Speakers also provided a showcase of several pilot projects and demonstrated how EFSI boosts investment in infrastructure and innovation projects, while enhancing the availability of high-risk financing for such projects.

In his closing remarks, EU Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Taxation and Customs, Pierre Moscovici, highlighted the importance of the Investment Plan for Europe (EFSI) for the development and growth of the European Union.