Rome, 19/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - The President of the European Investment Bank, Philippe Maystadt and Vice President, Massimo Ponzellini, announced in a press conference at the Ministry of Economics and Finance, the results of EIB lending trends in Italy for 2001. Loans were said to have totalled EUR 5.4 billion, with energy and telecommunications loans increasing by 50% to EUR 1.9 billion. Loans to SMEs increased by 42% to EUR 2.3 billion. The EIB press release highlighted the following:
- EIB finance to energy and telecommunications had helped contribute to the modernisation of ENEL'S production capacity and network (especially in the Centre-South of Italy), upgrading and extension of the TERNA power transmission grid and construction of Wind's new fixed and mobile network;
- The EIB provided substantial support for Italian SMEs, especially to the leasing sector over the last five years. More than 20,000 SMEs received investment financing to the tune of EUR 3.2 billion over the last five years;
- In infrastructure, the bank funded urban regeneration projects in Salerno, Rimini, Reggio Emilia and Lecce. It granted a EUR 155 million loan to the Basilicata region (co-financed by Structural Funds and the Regional Operational Plan under the Community Support Framework 2000-2006. Finance was also provided for the modernisation of around 20 ports, constructing the Milan-Bologna section of the high-speed train network (TAV) and widening a section of the Florence-Bologna line.
During his visit to Italy, Mr Maystadt signed four new loans: EUR 300 million to the Campania Region for part-financing projects promoted by the Region under the 2000-2006 Regional Operational Plan; EUR 300 million to BNL to provide medium and long-term support for leasing projects undertaken by SMEs; EUR 150 million to ASTM (Autostrade Torino-Milano SpA) for funding works to upgrade and improve safety on the Turin-Milan section of the A4 motorway; EUR 100 million to BNL, the EIB's first financing operation for small and medium-sized ventures in the media/audio-visual sector in Italy.