Luxembourg, 27/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a loan of EUR 200 million to support infrastructure projects in the areas of education, transport and greater environmental protection as well as urban renovation in the province of Rome. The funding, or at least half, will finance initiatives in the areas that are undergoing specific economic and social development problems. The operation allows the EIB to provide support to the investment programme drawn up by the province of Rome for the period 2004-2006. The EIB supports integrated development of the urban district of Rome. Investment made within the framework of the jubilee year 2000 has been succeeded by financing aimed especially at promoting an improved quality of life in the town and for mobility, and therefore at facilitating access to the labour market.
The loan intended for the province of Rome comes within the context of intervention that aims to strengthen the powers of local authorities, as provided for in the political guidelines defined by the EU (subsidiarity) and Italy. In the case in hand, this is the fourth loan granted to an Italian province after those for the provinces of Ferrara and Genoa. The signing of the financing contract relating to the first loan instalment took place on 21 July at the EIB head office in Luxembourg.