Luxemburg, 20/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Investment Bank (EIB) has just granted a loan of €50 million to VB Leasing Polska SA to finance projects of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland. The EIB line of credit will allow VB Leasing Polska SA to finance small-scale projects, promoted by SMEs, including micro-enterprises, in industry, services and tourism. Under this loan, VB Leasing Polska SA is expected to benefit from the SME Finance Facility, a special scheme promoted by the EU Phare Programme. The objective of this mechanism is to provide EIB partner banks and leasing companies with incentives to further develop a strong and competitive SME sector in the new Member States. Support for the development of micro-enterprises and SMEs is an EIB lending priority.
The EIB is also lending €50 million to the BNP Paribas SA Branch in Poland to support small and medium-sized projects, promoted usually by public or private promoters, in the areas of environmental protection, rational land use, diversification of energy sources and improvements in environmental infrastructure. (ol)