EU strategic investments
The EU's number one challenge in addressing today’s intertwined economic, technological, social, climate, and security-related shocks is a lack of investment. As highlighted in the Draghi report, the EU is facing an annual investment gap of up to 800 billion euros in high tech innovation, clean-tech, and defence alone. Existing public financing instruments are proving ineffective in mobilising the investments Europe needs, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility is set to run out in 2026. With a lack of political consensus for additional financing instruments, the EU has to rely on a more targeted and efficient use of public resources and crowd in more private investment, while not losing sight of more ambitious solutions for public investment.
This EPC project, launched in early 2024, brought together a dedicated taskforce of over 25 policymakers, industry representatives, experts, and opinion leaders to examine how best to stimulate investment in the EU’s strategic objectives. Through a series of closed-door roundtables, the taskforce developed insights that informed a final report, “From mission polity to mission economy: Making the EU a strategic investment power”, published in July 2025. It will be presented and debated at a final public event. The project has been kindly supported by the French promotional bank Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations.
Past project events:
- EPC Workshop 1: “Reimagining investment: aligning instruments with EU strategic goals”, 26 April 2024, Brussels.
- EPC Workshop 2: “Strategic Investments: Driving Europe’s Green Energy Transition”, Friday, 28 June 2024, Paris at the Caisse des Dépôts.
- EPC Workshop 3: “Strategic Investments: Strengthening Europe's Defence Capabilities”, Friday 28 June 2024, Paris at the Caisse des Dépôts.
- EPC Workshop 4: “An EU Strategic Investments Paradigm for the New Mandate”, 17 September 2024, Brussels.
- Half-day conference: "Financing Europe’s Future: How to mobilise more strategic investment?"
