17/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 16 October, the European Investment Bank decided to lend €40 million to Hrvatska Banka za Obnovu I Razvitak (HBOR - the Croatian Reconstruction and Development Bank) to finance indirectly the smaller projects of Croatian SMEs and municipalities in the areas of environmental protection, energy-saving, infrastructure, industry and services, including tourism. In 2001, the EIB provided HBOR with a loan of €10 million to fund six SME projects. (O.L.)