Commission President Juncker’s planned a €300 bn investment package to support achieving the new commission priorities for jobs, investment and growth. The package will be key to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness. There is now a consensus that Europe needs a new model of growth, with a more sustainable balance between consumption and industrial production.
This better balanced and lasting growth must be underpinned by industry and will rely on innovation, trade and, crucially, investment which cannot any longer be based on increasing debt.

• Ceemet welcomes the European Commission’s ambitious plan to create a Jobs and Growth with an Investment package of 300 billion euros. The metal, engineering and technology sector will be critical to Europe’s future global competitiveness and the sector’s track record of investment in plant and machinery, innovation and skills will be vital if we are to achieve a more balanced and competitive European economy.
• Maximising the effect EU level investment will need a clear definition of the outcomes to be achieved. Investment must be targeted at those initiatives which can prosper at an EU level, and leave to Member States and businesses the decisions of what, where and how to invest.
• Concretely, we must focus on ensuring we have truly a functional single digital market, removing the current fragmentation which erodes our competitiveness, and providing world class communication platforms. We must act to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in Europe, encouraging start-ups and SMEs to expand, and ensure that our young people in particular have the world class skills Europe’s businesses need.”