Luxembourg, 13/12/2002 (Agence Europe) - On 9 December, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced that it had agreed to lend the Bank of Ireland 100 million euro to help Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Out of the total amount, 50 million euro will be used in initiatives for improving the competitiveness of SMEs with Bank of Ireland loans for productive investments carried out by SMEs. The 50 million euro that remains will focus on long-term loans (20 years maximum) for promoting infrastructure projects of small and medium-size in the education, health and urban renewal sectors. This credit line of 100 million euro will be reconveyed by the Bank of Ireland in Ireland and by UK Financial Services in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom.