EIB – 61 new loans approved in Europe, Africa and Asia

The European Investment Bank today approved 12,7 billion of euros of loans to support new investments in Europe, Africa and Asia

 

The EIB approved a total of 61 new loans, including 7 projects, in strategic infrastructure, such as transport, water, energy, innovation and agribusiness, earmarked for financing by the EIB under the EU budget guarantee as part of the Investment Plan for Europe.

EFSI projects

The EIB Board approved financing totalling 777,5 million of euros for the seven EFSI projects, which include green ferries and improving rail access to ports in Spain, providing smart meters and supporting polymer research in Italy, and improving agribusiness production in Poland.

European, African and Asian projects

Among the project approved there are:

  • a windfarm in southern Mongolia,
  • an Icelandic geothermal power plant,
  • a large scale investment in energy networks in southern England, Poland, Finland, Italy and Nicaragua.

The EIB board agreed to support significant new investment in schools and universities in Finland, France, Germany, Hungary and the UK, as well as backing student mobility loans under the Erasmus scheme in Spain. Following approval today the EIB is also expected to support other initiatives, such as: enzyme research in Belgium, organic chemistry in Italy, development of next generation commercial vehicles in Germany and innovation to improve production of seamless steel tubes at plants across Europe.

The board also agreed 3,6 billion of euros of new lending for SMEs and Midcaps through local banks in Denmark, Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Romania and the Netherlands, as well as support for online peer-to-peer lending in the UK.

The EIB will support schemes to improve the competiveness of agribusiness and food production in Poland, Georgia and Senegal, and investment to improve urban regeneration and local energy, transport and health infrastructure in Thessaloniki, Lund in Sweden, Vantaa in Finland, Rheinland-Pfalz in Germany and across Italy.

Photo credit: Janitors via Foter.com / CC BY