The EU Investment Capacity Group is an initiative that aims to stimulate the discussion and elaboration of policy proposals within the progressive family to feed into the MFF debate.
The current strategic priorities of the EU require substantial investments: the green, digital and social transitions, and now increasingly defence. How to finance all that without jeopardising one of the priorities is a daunting task. The reform of the European fiscal rules that was completed in the spring of 2024 brought some flexibility for investments at the member state level, however, the size of possible leeway is far below the needed ambition.
The ongoing talks on the new EU Budget represent the main opportunity to enhance European fiscal and investment capacity. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), together with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), aim to stimulate the discussion and elaboration of policy proposals to feed into the MFF debate. Our new initiative called “EU Investment Capacity Group” will work on priority topics such as cohesion, own resources, and governance.
For more information regarding the EU Investment Capacity Group, please do not hesitate to contact Marie Hasdenteufel, Policy Officer for Economic & Digital Policy, Social Europe: marie.hasdenteufel(at)fes.de
The future of EU cohesion policy is at risk. The current strategic priorities of the EU require substantial investments in the green, digital and social transitions, and now increasingly on defence. The EU budget negotiations that kicked off this year are crucial in strengthening European fiancial and investment capacity. However, there is a risk that new policy instruments for competitiveness, defence, and preparedness could sideline cohesion. Ensuring that these instruments contribute to reducing regional disparities rather than exacerbating them is key. At the same time, cohesion policy itself must evolve—learning from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) to improve governance, simplify procedures, and enhance its effectiveness. Without a strong commitment to cohesion, Europe risks deepening inequalities at a time when economic integration and geopolitical instability demand greater unity.
To discuss the survival of cohesion policy, the EU Investment Capacity Group will meet on Friday, 14 March 2025, at the Giorgio Amendola Foundation in Turin, Italy. The expert meeting will address both European challenges on the EU budget and the specific case of Italy that is facing a constitutional change for differentiated autonomy that is putting territorial cohesion at further risk. The meeting is co-organised with Fondazione Amendola and the patronage of the City of Turin. It is upon invitation only and will be held under Chatham House rules.
Hybrid participation and Italian-English interpretation will be available for the first part. For more information regarding this event, please do not hesitate to contact Marie Hasdenteufel, Policy Officer for Economic & Digital Policy, and Social Europe: marie.hasdenteufel(at)fes.de
The European Parliament has started preparing for the discussions on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). With growing demands on the EU budget, from green and digital transitions to defence, competitiveness, and cohesion, there is a strong need for a well-balanced, long-term and forward-looking EU financing strategy.
On 20 February, the EU Investment Capacity Group met for a first closed-door brainstorming meeting. This served as a starting point for exchanging views on the key challenges and opportunities ahead, identifying priorities for the parliamentary debates. To kick off the discussion, MEP and S&D Rapporteur on the MFF Carla Tavares provided input on the own initiative report of the European Parliament. This was followed by reactions from former MEP Margarida Marques and Marco Buti, Professor at the European University Institute (EUI), among other participants.
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