On the 28 January 2015, in the European Parliament plenary session in Brussels, the Latvian Parliamentary State Secretary for EU Affairs Ms Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica informed the Members of the European Parliament about the Council’s position on the creation of the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) and shared its view on the roadmap towards a new international climate agreement in Paris on December 2015, reports BC Latvian MFA.

Ms Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica highlighted the urgency with which Europe needs a boost in investment:

“The EU Fund for Strategic Investments is a top priority for the Presidency. It is essential that we strengthen economic growth and reduce unemployment in the EU. The investment package is designed to deliver on this dual goal and it is of utmost importance that the co-legislators, work together as quickly as possible, to meet the ambitious deadline set by the European Council”, said Ms Kalniņa-Lukaševica.

The European Fund for Strategic Investment is the first pillar of the Commission’s EUR 315 billion investment plan for mobilising finance for investment. The other two pillars include creating the project pipeline and providing a friendlier regulatory environment for investment.

The Latvian Presidency’s presentation follows up to the first discussions carried out by the member states in the frequently meeting special ad-hoc working party and the first discussion of ministers took place on 27 January.

Speaking about the UN Climate Change Conference that will take place in Paris on December 2015, Ms Kalniņa-Lukaševica informed about the next steps of the Council in preparing for the international talks.

“The results of the Lima Climate Change conference (COP20) and the sense of urgency expressed by world leaders at the UN Climate Summit in September provide the necessary impetus for the work this year”, said the Parliamentary State Secretary for EU Affairs.