Options to Align the EU Fiscal Framework to Green Public Investment Needs

The necessary green transition in the EU requires substantial additional green public investment (GPI) by Member States throughout this decade and beyond. This briefing paper discusses four approaches for a reform of EU fiscal rules to better accommodate higher (debt-financed) GPI: first, an exemption clause for GPI; second, the implementation of a green golden rule; third, a country-specific benchmark share of government expenditures dedicated to GPI recommended by the European Commission; and fourth, an EU Climate Fund. We also discuss these options in relation to the recent Commission proposal from November 2022.