EIB Supports More Than 200 Water Infrastructure Upgrades Across AIMAG Service Areas

EIB Supports More Than 200 Water Infrastructure Upgrades Across AIMAG Service Areas

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank has signed a €50 million InvestEU-backed financing agreement with AIMAG S.p.A. to support the multiutility’s integrated water services investment programme in Italy’s Modena province. The programme will benefit around 200,000 people and includes more than 200 upgrades to water supply, sewerage and wastewater treatment infrastructure. The works will include renewing and laying new pipelines, upgrading and expanding wastewater treatment plants, reducing water losses, digitalising operational management and introducing advanced monitoring systems. The investment will also strengthen AIMAG’s ability to manage extreme climate events and maintain water quality, safety and service continuity. The financing forms part of the EIB’s broader support for Italian utilities. In 2025, the EIB provided €837 million to the sector in Italy, helping finance water infrastructure improvements, drinking water access, reduced hydrogeological risk and more sustainable resource management.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 13-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank and AIMAG S.p.A. have signed a €50 million financing agreement to support upgrades to integrated water services in the province of Modena, Italy.

The financing, backed by InvestEU, will support AIMAG’s multiannual investment programme and benefit around 200,000 people across the areas served by the group.

The programme includes more than 200 planned upgrades to water supply, sewerage and wastewater treatment infrastructure. The works are designed to improve service quality, strengthen resilience to climate-related risks, reduce water losses and support the digitalisation of operational management.

The agreement was announced by Gilles Badot, Director of Public Sector Operations at the EIB, and Gianluca Valentini, General Manager of AIMAG.

The main works will include the renewal and expansion of water supply networks and sewerage systems, as well as improvements to wastewater treatment plants. The programme will also introduce advanced monitoring and remote-control technologies to support predictive maintenance, improve service continuity and reduce interruptions.

The investment is aligned with European and national environmental objectives, as well as local climate adaptation strategies. It is also intended to help AIMAG respond more effectively to water and weather-related emergencies in an area with significant productive activity and exposure to climate impacts.

Gilles Badot said investment in water infrastructure is essential for strengthening local services and responding to climate change.

“Investing in water infrastructure means strengthening local areas’ ability to provide essential services and address the challenges posed by climate change,” said Badot. “This financing supports a programme of works that will improve the quality and reliability of services, strengthen network resilience and promote more modern and efficient resource management.”

He added that the agreement confirms the EIB’s commitment to supporting Italian utilities as they invest in sustainable local development.

Marco Malavolta, Chief Financial Officer of AIMAG, said the agreement completes a process that began around two years ago to reshape the company’s financial debt.

He said the financing will provide resources needed to support the investment plan set out in AIMAG’s 2025–2028 business plan, while also optimising the cost and duration of the financing behind it.

“The EIB is the ideal partner to help us pursue our operational and economic objectives with renewed momentum, further strengthening a partnership of great value for AIMAG and the area we represent,” said Malavolta.

The investment programme addresses priorities identified by local authorities and supports long-term infrastructure planning in the water sector, where continued investment is needed to maintain safe, reliable and resilient services.

The financing is backed by InvestEU, the European Union investment programme through which the EIB Group has already mobilised more than €6 billion in investment in Italy.

EIB Support for Italian Utilities

The agreement with AIMAG forms part of the EIB’s wider strategy to support Italian utilities and modernise essential infrastructure.

In 2025 alone, the EIB provided €837 million to Italian utilities, supporting investments by several major operators. These included MM S.p.A., SMAT, CAP Group, BrianzAcque, Acqua Novara.VCO, Azienda Comprensoriale Acquedottistica S.p.A. and ACEA, as well as the subscription of the sixth Viveracqua Hydrobond issue.

These financing agreements are designed to improve access to drinking water for millions of people, reduce hydrogeological risk and promote more sustainable management of water resources.

The EIB Group

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the long-term financing institution of the European Union and is owned by its Member States. In 2025, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) signed €100 billion in new financing to support more than 870 high-impact projects, structured around eight core strategic priorities that contribute to EU policy goals: climate action and environmental sustainability, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, stronger global partnerships, and the savings and investments union. In Italy, the EIB Group signed 105 new financing agreements worth a total of €13.2 billion in 2025.

InvestEU

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with long-term financing by leveraging substantial public and private funds to support a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investment for the European Union’s strategic priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings together under one roof the many EU financial instruments previously available to support investment in the European Union, making financing for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is deployed through implementing partners, which invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The full budget guarantee will be used to support investment projects by implementing partners, increasing their risk-bearing capacity and mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.

AIMAG Group

AIMAG Group is a multi-service company based in Mirandola. It operates in 27 municipalities and, directly and through its subsidiaries, manages water, environmental, energy, technology and public lighting services for more than 290 000 people.

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank