Brussels, 18/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - In Barcelona on Thursday 12 March, the Board of Directors of the European Investment Bank (EIB) approved six loans in Spain totalling €2.760 billion at the Bank's annual forum which was held in the Catalan capital. These loans are: - €1.3 billion for the high speed Madrid-Valencia link; a first instalment of the loan (€500 million) was signed on 12 March, - €500 million for France Telecom España for the roll-out of a broadband telecoms network combining fixed and mobile telephone services with the aim of consolidating the company's position on the Spanish market and increasing competition between operators; - a €500 million credit line for Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) for financing projects mounted by SMEs; - €300 million for ENDESA for upgrading Spain's power grid and improving the reliability of supply; - a €100 million credit line for Institut Català de Finances (ICF) for financing the small and medium-scale projects of SMEs and public authorities and larger-scale industrial projects in the R&D, energy and environment sectors; the corresponding loan agreement will be signed tomorrow; - €60 million for Cementos Molins S.A. for modernising its cement plant at Sant Vicenç dels Horts, where a state-of-the-art production line will replace the three existing production lines; the project will not involve a capacity increase and its main aim is to generate substantial energy savings and reduce pollutant emissions. (O.L./transl.rt)