Brussels, 02/07/2003 (Agence Europe) - Last Friday, the Italian Prime Minister and current acting President of the European Council, Silvio Berlusconi met with the president of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Philippe Maystadt. The meeting focused on: the role the EIB is likely to play in boosting investment in the Union. According to the Italian press agency Ansa, "Mr Maystadt described the Italian initiative for European investment in infrastructure timely", both for the functioning of the internal market and from the point of view of boosting production. The ball is now in the camp of the Ecofin Council, which on 15 July, was expected to grant a mandate to the EIB and the Commission to enable them to elaborate practical proposals to present to the European Council in October.