Luxembourg, 13/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - Since 1 January 2003, the issued share capital of the European Investment Bank has been EUR 150 billion. This 50% rise in the Bank's capital stock was unanimously decided by the Governing Council on 4 June 2002. The last increase in the Bank's capital was in 1999 when issued capital rose to 100 billion. On 31 December 2001, the rate of outstanding loans recorded by the Bank, which stood at EUR 221 billion, was close to the maximum that can be reached in theory, namely 250% of the subscribed capital.
The Bank's issued share capital is thus shared out between Member States: Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom each 17.7%, Spain 6.5%, Belgium and the Netherlands 4.9% each, Sweden 3.3%, Denmark 2.5%, Austria 2.4%, Finland 1.4%, Greece 1.3%, Portugal 0.9%, Ireland 0.6% and Luxembourg 0.1%.
The Bank stresses in its newsletter that this rise will allow it to continue to step up the support it gives to EU policies with moderate growth in operations within the current EU, and greater growth in the candidate countries and Mediterranean partner countries.
The first objective of the European Investment Bank remains regional development and economic and social cohesion within the EU: thus, at least 70% of individual loans and 50% of the overall loans will benefit the Union's assisted regions. The other priorities are: - research, technology and innovation. The EIB contributes above all to the implementation of the Lisbon strategy, mainly through its "Innovation 2000 Initiative"; - protection of the environment (between ¼ and 1/3 of loans): emphasis is mainly placed on the EU's international commitments in favour of sustainable development and the fight against climate change. Furthermore, the EIB adopted a strategy in favour of projects to promote renewable energies: - candidate countries - special attention is granted to infrastructure and private investment projects, mainly to foreign direct investment; - partner countries: progress was made in setting up the Investment Facility in the context of the Cotonou Agreement and the creation of a new Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership Facility (decision of the European Council of March 2002 in Barcelona).