Luxembourg, 22/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Investment Bank is granting a loan of $80 million (around EUR 91 million) for the modernisation of two factories of Volkswagen do Brasil (VWB), a subsidiary of the Volkswagen group. The investment is intended for the production of small passenger cars mainly for the Latin-American market. "The new vehicles will be conform to European and Brazilian environmental and safety standards", stresses the EIB in its press release, adding that the transfer of technology from Europe will contribute to rebalancing the Brazilian balance of payments and safeguarding jobs.