20/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - EU mobilises €237 million in micro-loans for 20,000 micro-enterprises. On Monday 19 October, the European Commission and European Investment Fund (IEF) announced that they had opened up access to finance for microenterprises by mobilising €237 million in loans to support 20,000 European micro-enterprises. These loans are available under the European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI), managed by the IEF, with the support of six microfinance institutions in France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain. The Commission will contribute €17 million to these guarantees. (JK)