Brussels, 19/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 13 March in Barcelona, the European Investment Bank and the Generalitat de Catalunya signed five finance contracts for five projects in Catalonia totalling €495 million. The following loans were signed: €150 million in two credit lines 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; €200 million for Infraestructures Ferroviàries de Catalunya (IFERCAT) for financing the construction of line 9 of the Barcelona metro, a project which has already attracted previous loans totalling €1.6 billion; two loans for financing investments carried out by Gestió d'Infraestructures SA (GISA): €35 million for small-scale public transport projects in the Barcelona metropolitan area; and €110 million for four road projects in the Catalonia region. The Generalitat de Catalunya is the borrower for the GISA loans and is guaranteeing the other three ICF and IFERCAT loans. On Thursday 12 March, the EIB approved six financing operation in Spain for a total amount of €2.760bn (EUROPE 9864).
The European Investment Bank is the EU's long-term financing institution promoting European objectives. Founded in 1957, it operates in the 27 EU member states and more than 130 other countries worldwide. Since 1986, the EIB has provided for investment in Catalonia - EUR 12.2 billion since 1986, representing more than 13% of the EIB's total financing in Spain. (O.L./transl.rh)