European Investment Bank Group Unveils €15.5 Billion Boost for Water, Transport, Housing, Energy and Innovation

European Investment Bank Group Unveils €15.5 Billion Boost for Water, Transport, Housing, Energy and Innovation

(IN BRIEF) During their July meetings, the EIB and EIF boards approved a combined €15.5 billion in fresh financing: €14.5 billion from the EIB and €1 billion from the EIF. Key priorities include the launch of a €40 billion Water Resilience Programme to improve global water access and infrastructure; upgrades to rail, road, and airport networks across Europe; reinforcement of electricity grids and industrial energy efficiency projects; and investment in affordable, energy‑efficient housing in Germany and Portugal. The package also supports business growth through venture capital and debt instruments across Europe, the Western Balkans, Africa, and the Middle East, and funds recycling, biofuel, waste‑treatment, and pharmaceutical innovation projects. Additionally, the Group has refined its security and defence financing criteria to support selected EU industry projects.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 18-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — At their July meetings this week, the boards of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) together green‑lit €15.5 billion in fresh financing to spur corporate innovation, expand transport and energy links, boost housing and education, and reinforce water resilience. The EIB approved €14.5 billion while the EIF authorized €1 billion to fuel the green transition, back venture capital and private equity, and shore up infrastructure and private‑credit funds.

“These commitments shape tomorrow’s Europe—powering clean energy, securing safe water, optimizing transport, and advancing housing, education, and innovation,” stated EIB Group President Nadia Calviño. “As the EU’s financing arm, the EIB Group is delivering on Europe’s priorities.”

EIB Group Water Resilience Programme
In alignment with the European Commission’s Water Resilience Strategy, the EIB Board welcomed the launch of a dedicated Water Resilience Programme, designed to mobilize €40 billion globally over three years. As the world’s leading multilateral water financier, the EIB will channel this investment to expand access to clean water, bolster community resilience, and strengthen the EU water sector’s competitiveness. Projects upgrading water and wastewater networks in Greece and the Netherlands also received backing.

Transport Upgrades
New rail financing was approved for Estonia, Germany, and Italy, alongside road improvements in Poland, Romania, and Moldova. Airport energy‑efficiency upgrades in France, Germany, and Spain will further decarbonize travel.

Energy Networks and Efficiency
The Bank signed off on projects to reinforce electricity grids in France, Germany, and South America, increase industrial energy efficiency in Portugal, and accelerate biofuel production in Italy.

Affordable, Energy‑Efficient Housing
Three housing schemes were endorsed to streamline financing for new energy‑efficient dwellings, retrofit existing buildings, and install solar photovoltaic systems in Germany, plus fund the construction and renovation of affordable housing in Portugal.

Backing Business Growth and Innovation
Support measures will benefit companies across Croatia, Italy, Poland, and Spain, bolster innovation in the Western Balkans, and promote reforestation of degraded forests and wetlands in Africa. North African and Middle Eastern private‑sector investments—under the European Commission’s Multiannual Comprehensive Programme for Palestine—also feature. Financing for critical raw material recycling in Germany, low‑carbon fertilizer production in South America, advanced waste‑treatment facilities in Spain, and pharmaceutical innovation across Europe was likewise approved.

On the EIF side, new transactions include €278 million in debt instruments and €725 million in venture capital, private equity, and private credit. These will underwrite private‑sector clean energy, decarbonization, and biodiversity projects, from biotech scale‑up funds to early‑stage venture capital.

Enhanced Security and Defence Financing
Following a detailed market assessment, the EIB Group broadened its eligibility criteria for security and defence investments. By updating its list of excluded activities, the Group has clarified technical details and expanded funding opportunities for select EU security and defence projects, while safeguarding overall financing capacity.

Background information  

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.

All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.

Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers.Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank