The European Council convenes at a critical moment, as mounting geopolitical, energy and climate crises test economic resilience. National solutions and incremental adjustments will not be sufficient to tackle the scale of the challenge. The European Council must respond with bold measures commensurate with the stakes to modernise the economy, boost demand, attract private capital and strengthen long-term prosperity.
In collaboration with Cefic, T&E and Cleantech for Europe, E3G coordinated a joint public letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission and António Costa, President of the European Council, calling for a European Investment Facility.
Europe’s central weakness lies in chronic underinvestment and low demand. At a time when decarbonisation and defence capabilities must be accelerated, the end of Next Generation EU risks triggering a sharp decline in productive investment. Meanwhile, the United States and China continue to sustain significantly higher public deficits while expanding large-scale investment in energy security and strategic supply chains.
This investment gap cannot be addressed, nor can Europe’s industrial sovereignty be secured, under existing fiscal constraints or through simplification alone. It requires bold, collective investment across manufacturing, services, infrastructure and the care economy. We therefore call on the presidents to support sustained, large-scale public investment, backed by common European financing mechanisms, to strengthen productive capacity, innovation and quality employment across Europe.
Press enquiries
press@e3g.org
