Recital 1

(1)The Investment Plan for Europe, adopted by the Commission in November 2014, focuses on removing obstacles to investment, providing visibility and technical assistance to investment projects and making smarter use of new and existing financial resources. As part of this plan, the set-up of a European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) through Regulation (EU) 2015/1017 of the European Parliament and of the Council ² , aims to overcome the current investment gap in the EU by mobilising private financing for strategic investments which the market cannot finance alone. It will support strategic investments in infrastructure as well as risk finance for small businesses. Simultaneously, work on the establishment of a Capital Markets Union will deepen financial integration and help increase growth and competitiveness in the EU.