EU claims investment plan has created 1.1m jobs

‘Juncker Plan’ also increased EU’s GDP by 0.9 per cent, institutions claim

The European Fund for Strategic Investments—which was funded in part by reallocating €2.2 billion from the EU’s R&D budget—has “played a key role in boosting jobs and growth in the EU”, the European Commission said on 22 October.

Efsi, also known as the “Juncker Plan” after European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, increased EU GDP by 0.9 per cent and added 1.1 million jobs between its 2015 launch and the end of June, the Commission said. The figures came from an analysis carried out in part by the Commission’s own Joint Research Centre evidence service.