Brussels, 15/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - On 14 October, the European Investment Bank (EIB) granted Poland a €2 billion loan to help meet the objectives of the Polish National Strategic Reference Framework during the period 2007-2013. This is the biggest loan the EIB has granted a member state that joined the EU after 2004.
EIB funds will co-finance projects in the following areas: - innovative economy: investments in SMEs, including financial engineering, developing innovation in enterprise, etc; - human capital (employment education, higher education, etc); - infrastructure and environment (conservation measures for protected areas, including Natura 2000 sites, intelligent transport systems, upgrading of public buildings, and restoration of cultural heritage sites); - and development of eastern parts of Poland (acceleration of the social and economic development of the five regions that figure among the least developed regions in the EU, university infrastructure, broadband network, etc). The loan is part of the growing EIB lending activity in Poland, which, in 2010, is expected to reach some €5.3 billion of new loans signed with numerous partners in the public and private sectors. (L.C./transl.jl)