Top EU role for MEP Kelly
MEP for Ireland South and Leader of Fine Gael in the European Parliament, Seán Kelly, has been appointed as a key negotiator for the European People’s Party (EPP) Group in the European Parliament on the new InvestEU fund, which is expected to trigger more than €650 billion in additional investment across the EU over a 7-year period.
Speaking in Brussels Mr Kelly, who will lead negotiations in the Parliament’s Committee which focuses on Industrial policies, spoke about the draft report he has tabled, and outlined where he believes the focus should be.
“InvestEU presents a fantastic opportunity to further increase investment across the EU, building on the success of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) which in July had mobilised an impressive €335 billion in additional investments. However, it is clear to me that the InvestEU, which can be considered the successor programme to EFSI, must put a greater emphasis on the need to fund our small and medium sized-businesses and start-ups than its predecessor.”
Mr. Kelly will host a public meeting on InvestEU in Tralee on October 12th to discuss the opportunities it presents for Irish business.