Luxembourg, 02/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - During the annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the European Investment Bank (EIB), consisting of the Finance Ministers of the EU Member States, on Wednesday morning in Luxembourg, the president of the bank, Philippe Maystadt, announced an increase of 7% in loans in 2003 to EUR 42.3 billion: - EUR 34.2 billion in the EU15, EUR 4.6 billion in accession countries and acceding countries and EUR 3.5 billion in partner countries.
In 2003, the EIB confirmed mobilisation of two programmes with ambitious loans in order to back European action for growth from 2004: - the investment facility in the trans-European networks (TEN) which aims at granting EUR 50 billion in loans by 2010; - the Innovation 2010 initiative whose aim is to pay EUR 40 billion in loans to promote the emergence in Europe of a growth economy.
In response to a call from the European Council, the EIB also stepped up its activities under the Euro-Mediterranean investment and partnership facility (FEMIP), lending over EUR 2 billion in the EU partner countries of the region (EUR 600 million for Turkey, 509 millions for Egypt, EUR 395 million for Tunisia, EUR 230 million for Algeria, EUR 194 million for Morocco, EUR 90 million for Syria and EUR 66 million for Jordan).
The five main priorities of the EIB activity plan for the period 2004-2006 are: - economic and social cohesion and regional development in the enlarged EU; - implementation of the Innovation 2010 initiative; - development of TEN and their access networks; - protection and improvement of the environment; - support of Community policies for aid to development and cooperation in partner countries (FEMIP and Cotonou Agreement). The plan of activity also provides for a 5% annual ceiling in growth of loan operations in the EU15. Operations in the new Member States, the accession countries and partner countries, should increase at a rapid rate.