That is why it is essential to determine, prior to any effort to boost investment, whether sluggish growth in Europe reflects abnormally low capital formation. The data suggest that it does: from 2007 to 2013, investment has fallen by 18% in the EU, compared to just 6% in the United States.
因此，在采取任何刺激投资的措施前，确定欧洲增长停滞不前是否是因为资本形成水平特别低下是十分重要的。数据表明确实如此：2007—2013年，欧盟投资规模下降了18%，而美国只下降了6%。在南欧，投资出现了崩盘；甚至在德国，投资在今年才有可能回到危机前水平。