Tag: investment

The European Commission, member states and industry will invest more than €22 billion over the next seven years in innovation. The investment will primarily go to special sectors via five public-private partnerships called Joint Technology Initiatives (JTIs).

The 22 May EU summit dedicated to energy issues should clearly transform the prevailing talking mode in the energy and climate framework into action mode, Jean-Claude Depail, tells EurActiv.

The European Parliament yesterday (23 October) cleared the way for the EU executive to open negotiations with the United States to move towards a transatlantic free trade agreement, but not at any price.

Most European employers (86%) cut or froze their investments in training last year despite ongoing skills shortages and must take urgent remedial action, business and political leaders converging in Brussels for the 2012 European Business Summit will hear today.

Coordinated private, public and consciously European investment in research and infrastructure is needed to boost economic competitiveness, something which can be partly achieved via the EU budget, argues Dominique Ristori, an official at the European Commission.

Institutional investors have warned European countries that repeated policy changes across the continent are discouraging investment in low-carbon technologies.

Foreign investment projects in Europe fell by 11% last year but larger Western European markets were still seen as safe havens in uncertain times, according to a new study.

Investors are opening their wallets again but their tolerance of risk has been dampened by the crisis, Jean-Bernard Guérrée, CEO of the World Investment Conference, told EurActiv in an interview.

Bonds providing a hedge against the risk of governments missing their climate commitments could give investors the necessary confidence to invest in low-carbon projects, Professor Michael Mainelli from Z/Yen, a City of London-based risk management firm, told EurActiv in an interview.

European harmonised funds (UCITS) are increasingly investing in derivatives, but this has so far not generated a higher level of risk in comparison with other funds, according to a survey published by the European Commission.

Member states have spoken out in favour of a voluntary code of conduct and a self-regulatory approach towards the hedge-fund industry, but shied away from imposing any further regulation at a meeting on 8 May.

A group of Socialist MEPs, led by former Danish PM Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, have called on the Commission to take action on hedge-fund regulation, claiming that the industry's rapid growth could put the EU's job-creation policy at risk.

Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy will not impose specific regulation, despite recent calls by politicians to tighten rules.

The 350 billion euro budget for 2007-2013 for developing Europe’s regions will be insufficient unless more private capital is made available, according to Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner.

The Commission is wrestling with investment funds – how to promote them, while leaving flexibility for market developments, while protecting investors. Particularly controversial are 'hedge funds', which some regard as the future of investment profitability and some as dangerously unstable. Three recent reports have highlighted the issues.

Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy presented a green paper on investment funds on 14 July 2005. The document did not propose a legislative overhaul of the management of investment funds but did see scope for improvement. On 16 November 2006 the Commission issued a white paper on enhancing the single market framework for investment funds.