The European Investment Bank Group approved a total of €15.5 billion in new financing to back business growth and corporate innovation, improve transport and energy connectivity, invest in housing and strengthen water resilience. The decisions were made at the July board meetings of the EIB and the European Investment Fund this week. The EIB Board endorsed €14.5 billion in fresh financing and the EIF Board authorised €1 billion in new funding to support the green transition, back venture capital and private equity investment and strengthen private credit and infrastructure funds. “These investments are about building the future – from clean energy, safe water and smarter transport to better housing, education and innovation,” said EIB Group President Nadia Calviño. “As the EU’s financing arm, the EIB Group is delivering on Europe’s priorities.” The EIB Board welcomed plans to strengthen targeted financing to address water resilience worldwide. The EIB Group is the world’s largest multilateral financier for water investment. The new EIB Group Water Resilience Programme has been developed in coordination with the European Commission’s Water Resilience Strategy and is expected to mobilise €40 billion of global water investment over the next three years. It will increase access to clean and safe water, enhance the water resilience of communities and strengthen the competitiveness of the EU water sector. New projects to update water and wastewater networks in Greece and the Netherlands were also approved. Improving transport The EIB agreed to back new rail investment in Estonia, Germany and Italy, to improve road connections in Poland, Romania and Moldova and to enhance airport energy efficiency in France, Germany and Spain. Enhancing energy networks and energy efficiency New energy projects approved will strengthen electricity grids in France, Germany and South America, improve industrial energy efficiency in Portugal and accelerate biofuel production in Italy. Investing in affordable and energy efficient housing The Board approved three housing projects, enabling streamlined financing for the construction of energy-efficient homes, the energy-efficiency renovation of existing buildings and the installation of solar panels in Germany and backing the construction and refurbishment of affordable housing across Portugal. Backing business growth and innovation New financing approved by the EIB will support companies in Croatia, Italy, Poland and Spain, innovation in the Western Balkans and the reforestation of degraded forests and wetlands across Africa as well as private-sector investment by North African and Middle Eastern businesses. This includes support as part of the third pillar of the European Commission’s Multiannual Comprehensive Programme for Palestine. Financing for critical raw material recycling in Germany, low-carbon fertiliser production in South America, innovative waste-treatment plants across Spain and pharmaceutical innovation across Europe was also endorsed. The EIF transactions agreed this week include €278 million in new debt operations and €725 million in venture capital, private equity and private credit transactions. They will support private-sector clean energy, decarbonisation and biodiversity preservation investment. This includes EIF backing for funds that enable biotech companies to grow, support sustainable business investments and bolster early-stage venture capital. Strengthening European security and defence In March this year, the EIB Group agreed to expand its eligibility criteria for security and defence investment. The EIB and EIF Boards approved a revised list of excluded activities, broadening eligibilities and clarifying technical details to support increased financing for selected security and defence projects. These adjustments follow a thorough market assessment that identified funding needs within the EU industry while safeguarding the Group’s financing capacity.
The Institute for the Investigation of the Crimes of Communism and the Memory of Romanian Exile (IICCMER) has issued a public appeal to president Nicuşor Dan and prime minister Ilie Bolojan to demonstrate “firmness in decision-making” in order to counter what it describes as an “increasingly insidious phenomenon of pro-totalitarian nostalgia,”
AFI Romania, part of the leading real estate development, management, and investment company operating across Central and Eastern Europe, AFI Group, announced that it secured a EUR 537 million refinancing package for three major projects in its portfolio: AFI Cotroceni, AFI Brașov, and AFI Ploiești. The three projects included in the refinancing are among the […]
State-controlled Hidroelectrica (BVB: H2O) allegedly supplied electricity for years to politically connected companies and religious institutions without issuing invoices or collecting payments, according to public data analysed by investigative platform Recorder. The supplies...
Altex Romania will develop in the following year the DIY chain Brico Dépôt by securing ownership of the rented stores, upgrading the entire chain, and opening three to five new stores per year after the transition year 2026, Altex founder, main shareholder, and CEO Dan Ostahie announced after his company took over the do-it-yourself chain […]
The government announced it selected, on November 27, a president and two vice-presidents for the Agency for Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Enterprises' Performance (AMEPIP). The action was a milestone under the Resilience Facility due November 28, after the expiry of the six-month extra time allowed by the European Commission, with a EUR 330 million […]
Romania's Ministry of Finance published for debate the draft emergency ordinance (OUG) on the second budget rectification of this year on the evening of November 27. According to the document, the general government budget deficit will remain at 8.4% of GDP, Hotnews.ro reported. Central government budget revenues for...
