Greece tops EU rankings for EFSI-triggered investment relative to GDP

Among the projects supported by the Juncker Plan in Greece were loans to mobile phone companies to expand their broadband network in more remote areas, loans to agri-food companies to invest in their product lines and machinery and a Greek group involved in the construction and operation of wind farms.
The European Commission on Wednesday announced that the Juncker Plan had exceeded the original 315-billion-euro investment target and that the EFSI had mobilised 335 billion euros in additional investment across the EU since July 2015. 
"The European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group have delivered on their pledge to mobilise 315 billion euros in additional investment under the Investment Plan for Europe, the Juncker Plan. Backed by a budget guarantee from the European Union and own resources from the EIB Group, 898 operations have been approved, which are expected to trigger 335 billion euros in investment across the 28 EU Member States. This is more than the original goal of 315 billion euros set in 2015 when EFSI was launched, helping to close the investment gap left as a result of the financial and economic crisis. 700,000 small and medium-sized companies are set to benefit from improved access to finance. Given the EFSI's success, the European Council and the European Parliament agreed last year to extend its duration and capacity to 500 billion euros by end-2020," the Commission said.