The focus of the 2016 Summit is on the need for investments and for better cross-border connections in order to unlock the growth potential offered by the rich diversity of Europe's regions. The EU's investments aim to generate smarter, greener and more sustainable growth across the Union and to narrow the economic gap between the regions of Europe. The Summit's themes are given added urgency by continuing wide differences in investment between countries and regions in the EU - and by the European Commission's efforts to mobilise EUR 315 billion in public and private investment.
- László Baranyay, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank will participate in a plenary debate about unlocking EU funds in cities and regions. The debate will identify obstacles and find solutions to investment with the overarching goal of building on the entrepreneurial spirit in Europe's cities and regions.
- Jyrki Katainen, Vice-President of the European Commission for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness and Wilhelm Molterer, European Investment Bank Managing Director for EFSI will participate in a round-table discussion about "Connecting resources: getting EU investment working for regions and cities". This session will consider how regions and cities can boost the effectiveness of their investment through cooperation with EU and supranational institutions. It will also consider the specific difficulty of bringing investment to less developed or more remote areas.
Both the plenary debate and the round-table discussion will be moderated by Shirin Wheeler, Principal Advisor International Media, European Investment Bank
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