(25 March 2013) – The European Commission has today adopted a Green Paper that launches a three-month public consultation on how to foster and improve the supply of long-term financing in Europe.
Long-term investment represents spending that enhances the productive capacity of the economy. This can include energy, transport and communication infrastructures, industrial and service facilities, climate change and eco-innovation technologies, as well as education and research and development.
The financial crisis has affected the ability of the financial sector in Europe to channel savings to long-term investment. So it is essential that we look at what can be done to improve the availability of long-term financing and this Green Paper focuses on how that process operates.
The financing needs of SMEs deserve particular attention as they have the potential to underpin long-term growth. They need access to bank as well as non-bank financing. Responses to the consultation will help the Commission determine what can be done to overcome the barriers to long-term financing. Follow-up could take several forms, legislative and non-legislative.