05/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde said on Tuesday 4 November that the Council had called on the European Investment Bank, in the near future, to present proposals to the Ecofin Council for financing research and development in sectors that could help the European position on climate change and energy (sectors such as clean transport). On the European response to the financial crisis, she said that, at this point, 14 member states had injected €280 billion to recapitalise their banks and 13 EU countries had invested €1,800 billion in bank guarantees. (M.B./transl.rt)