On 27 January 2026, we are bringing together academics, labour unions and civil society to unpack the little-known investment practice economists call de-risking. We will look at the involved actors, interests behind it and how it impacts the struggles for climate action, quality job creation, public services and democratic decision making we are engaged in as labour unions and civil society.

The European Commission’s competitiveness agenda is not only about deregulation.
It is increasingly about mobilising public money to attract private investors, making so-called “strategic” projects more profitable, even when Europe urgently needs large-scale public investment for social, environmental and economic priorities.

This shift raises critical concerns:
• It puts our future into the hands of corporations and investors
• It fails to build the state capacity we need for essential public investment
• It complements the ongoing deregulation of social and environmental standards
• It sidelines national public administrations
• It risks undermining the legitimacy needed for a just, green and digital transition


Organised by:
•Counter Balance 
•European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) 
•European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
•New Economics Foundation (NEF) 

Sign up now
De risking event 1
Sign up now