Luxembourg, 18/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - On the occasion of its tenth annual forum in Warsaw, the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed or approved several loans intended for investment projects in Poland for a total of EUR 760 million. The loans will serve to co-fund, with the EU, priority projects in the fields of science and innovation (250 million) and municipal infrastructure - in Katowice (50 million) and in Bydgoszcz (35 million). Furthermore, two loans will be granted to the Bank BPH (100 million) and to Dexia Kommunalkredit Polska (25 million). Also, the EIB is to sign a protocol agreement with the Polish railway company (PKP) for a new loan of EUR 300 million in 2004. These transactions bring to EUR 8.2 billion the total amount of loans granted by the EIB in Poland to date. Loans represent one third of financing granted so far by the Bank in Central and Eastern Europe. They will allow investment to be stimulated in research-development (R&D), municipal infrastructure and transport to be developed and modernised, and also allow a contribution to the adoption of European environmental norms.
Framework loan of EUR 250 million for science and innovation. This loan will support R&D projects that comply with the strategic aims of the Polish national development plan (see below).
Loans in favour of municipal infrastructure in Katowice and Bydgoszcz. These loans will help to finance projects relating to municipal infrastructure in the fields of protection of the environment, transport, health and education and urban renovation. The projects come within the context of development plans for the two municipalities. They will allow the municipalities to procure the necessary resources for co-funding projects implemented with the help of structural funds. Projects foreseen in Katowice concern, among other things, renovation of the town centre. Projects for Bydgoszcz concern enhancement of the transport network and sports installations to be used by primary school pupils.
Global loans to Bank BPH and Kommunalkredit. These two global loans will be used to finance small and medium-scale projects implemented by SMEs and local authorities in the field of environmental protection, the rational use of energy, infrastructure, industry, installations and educational and health services, and tourism. Since 1990, the EIB has granted loans of this kind to twelve partner banks in Poland for the sum of over EUR 1.1 billion.
Protocol agreement for co-funding modernisation of main railway lines in Poland. On 15 October, the EIB and the Polish railway company, PKP, signed a protocol agreement on the granting of a EUR 300 million loan, that will serve to co-fund a number of priority sub-projects selected to benefit from Community subsidies during the 2004-2008 period. The majority of railway lines to be upgraded are located on the trans-European corridors. Those concerned are: the E20 (Berlin-Warsaw-Brest) of corridor II; - the line E30 linking Wroclaw-Katowice-Krakow to the German border in the west and to the Ukrainian border on the eastern side, on corridor III; - the line E65 linking the Czech and Slovak borders to Gdansk via Katowice and Warsaw, on corridor VI; - and the Warsaw-Lodz line. The renovation of these lines will help to strengthen Poland's integration within the European single market, to improve transport security and to increase capacity. The EIB funds will help to modernise over 700 km of railway lines and bring the circulation speed up to 160 km/hr.