The Operational Board of the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) has approved a new set of 24 guarantee programmes to support investments in the EU’s neighbourhood and enlargement countries, the European Commission announced on Thursday 26 January.
Together with the three guarantees for the Western Balkans in support of SMEs approved in December, the new guarantees, worth €2.4 billion, are expected to generate some €17 billion of investment in priority sectors, including renewable energy, digital connectivity and private sector competitiveness under the Economic and Investment Plans (EIPs).
Once the guarantee agreements are signed between the EU and 11 European and international financial institutions, these entities will have three years to generate investments in areas such as: - private sector competitiveness and the innovation agenda for the Western Balkans; - Black Sea connectivity in the Eastern Neighbourhood countries; - the energy transition and security in the Southern Neighbourhood countries.
The EU guarantee is also expected to increase bank financing for SMEs and the issuance of green bonds in EU partner countries. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)