While it’s difficult to measure European industry investment figures with 100% certainty, you can’t help but think that the numbers that have been thrown around over the past 31 days tell an interesting tale.

Sure, deal sizes are inevitably talked up once a letter of intent has been signed and you’ve got customers and clients around the table but even so, there’s a definite feeling of certainty in the market and what’s more, it’s managed the impressive trick of retaining the interest of the politicians. Praise indeed.

However, while the EU has been quick to retain a healthy interest in future market investments and take its turn at throwing around some seriously large numbers, one can’t help but think that it’s the private sector – and the myriad of smaller, more discreet deals, that are going to become the real market driver in 2011.