Industry & Civil Society Groups Call for a New European investment Plan - CleanTechnica

The article highlights a joint call from industry and civil society leaders urging European Union policymakers to establish a new, large-scale European investment plan to address pressing economic, geopolitical, climate, and technological challenges. The authors emphasize that incremental or national-level solutions are insufficient, given Europe's chronic underinvestment and declining industrial output since 2019. They cite an €800 billion annual investment gap identified by Mario Draghi, with about one-third needing public financing. The imminent end of the Next Generation EU fund risks a sharp decline in productive investment at a critical time when Europe must accelerate decarbonization, enhance defense, secure raw materials, modernize industry, and ensure affordable energy and quality public services. The letter argues that Europe's industrial sovereignty depends on collective investment capacity supported by reformed fiscal rules that allow sustained public spending aligned with modern economic realities. It contrasts Europe's current fiscal constraints with the expansive public investment strategies of the US and China, which use a combination of procurement, tax incentives, production aid, and coordinated planning