Each year the European Commission is obliged, in accordance with the Council Decisions establishing the various lending instruments of the European Communities, to inform both the Council and the European Parliament, on how these instruments are being used. Similarly, the Commission is obliged to annually prepare a report on lending activities outside of the EU through EIB loans guaranteed by the EU budget to: i) the EU’s South Eastern Neighbours; ii) the Mediterranean countries; iii) Latin America and Asia and iv) South Africa.

Not only does this Report describe the operations for each of the areas concerned it also gives a brief summary of the macro-financial assistance provided by the Community to third countries and of the interest subsidies and guarantees associated with Community loans. Additional information is provided on Euratom’s lending activities.

Borrowing activities: total borrowing by the European Communities and by the EIB increased in 2006 by 6% to EUR 52.9 billion as compared to EUR 49.9 billion the previous year. Most of this increase can be attributed to EIB borrowing. The total amount of outstanding borrowing on 31 December 2005 was 15.5 % - higher than in 2004 and stood at EUR 250.1 billion.

The breakdown of borrowings by currency indicate a decrease in the share of EUR-denominated borrowings in 2005 to 37.5% from 44.9% in 2004 of all issues, while issues in other Community currencies increased from 13.0% to 23.0%. Non-Community currencies took a smaller share of borrowing, decreasing from 42.0% to 39.5% of the total. Issues in USD were down from 41.6% to 27.9%. In 2005, after swaps, 97.3% of the loans were on a variable-rate as compared to 100% in 2004.

Lending activities: in both the acceding and the accession States, namely Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey (referred to as the EU’s South Eastern Neighbours ) the Bank has been very visible. It has continued to support investment initiatives in the Western Balkans; priority being given to the infrastructure, health, education and SME’s.

Particular attention is given to upgrading, modernising and developing the communications and energy sectors, through the Trans-European Networks (TENs). Funding is based on the road and rail corridors as defined by the Pan-European Conference of Transport Ministers. Other priorities include environmental considerations.

EIB lending was also particularly active in North-Western Russia, Russia, the Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus. The Commission, the EIB and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development have been working on a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding concerning the next Mandate covering 2007-2013.

In the Mediterranean region , the Bank’s lending mandate takes place mainly through the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. EIB lending supports both individual investment projects as well as smaller, SME’s programmes. Another important element of lending focuses on strengthening the financial sector of the region as a whole. In order to complement the remaining amount under the existing mandate (EUR 248 million), an interim EIB facility will be launched in the course of 2006, which will allow the Bank to pursue an appropriate level of operations in the Mediterranean countries before the entry into force of a future mandate.

In Asia, as well as in Latin America, the Bank finances projects that are of interest to both the Community and the countries concerned – i.e. technology transfer, energy co-operation and environmental protection programmes. Tsunami reconstruction efforts are also eligible for EIB support.

The Bank’s objectives in the Republic of South Africa are to contribute to the successful implementation of the country’s reconstruction efforts and to its development programmes. The EIB has provided management support to the EU Commission for its Risk Capital Facility.

Total EIB lending in the ACP/OCT countries amounted to EUR 537 million in 2005, of which EUR 151 million is derived from the Bank’s own resources and EUR 386 million from risk capital.

In 2005 (the sixth year of the new mandate) the EIB signed loan agreements totalling EUR 3 618 million. This brings total lending under the new mandate to EUR 17 238 million or corresponding to 89% of the ceiling, with risk-sharing equivalent to 17% of the loans signed.

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This report has been prepared in accordance with Article 2 of Council Decision 2000/24/EC on granting a Community Guarantee to the European Investment Bank against losses under loans for projects outside the Community (Central and Eastern Europe, Mediterranean Countries, Latin America and the Republic of South Africa). Article 2 states that the Commission must report on the application of the Decision by 31 July 2006 at the latest.

The first part of the report concentrates on the achievements of the EIB under its existing mandate. The second part of the report focuses on what orientations the EIB’s future activities will take. The report is accompanied by two staff working papers; one reviewing the regional outlook, the other providing a detailed assessment of the existing mandate. Further, alongside the presentation of this report the Commission is presenting a proposal for a Council Decision on a renewal of the EIB’s external mandate. (Please refer to CNS/2006/0107).

To recall, the objective of Decision 2000/24/EC was to give the EIB a mandate to support Community policies by financing selected investment projects. The Bank was called upon to enhance coordination with the Community’s other financial instruments and to consult regularly with the Commission to ensure the coordination of activities in the countries concerned. The bank was also invited to cover the commercial risk on 30% of its lending under risk-sharing arrangements from third-party guarantees or other security.

Achievements

As regards the existing external lending mandates the report notes that loan signatures, on 31 December 2005 (i.e. 85% of the duration of the lending mandate), accounted for 87% of the overall lending ceiling. Transport and Telecoms accounted for 35% of total lending, with over half of the loans going to the EU’s Southern and Eastern Neighbours. Water projects and urban planning initiatives received 20% of total lending and the energy sector accounted for 19% of loans granted during the period under review.

In 2005, the EIB was the main player in both the Mediterranean and in the Western Balkan. The EIB, however, played a more marginal role in the Eastern Neighbour Countries, Asia and Latin America. In other achievements, figures show that the Bank, by the end of December 2005, had reached 16.7% of total risk sharing loans signed under the mandate.

According to the report, the EIB, when compared to other IFI’s, operates its external lending mandates with fewer staff and is perceived by potential borrowers as a streamlined and efficient lending institution with a closely defined focus. Its expertise and comparative advantage lies in fields such as infrastructure, environmental projects and SME’s, where it seeks to pass on its technical and economic know-how. As part of its project conditions the EIB covers important issues such as pricing, improving management style, the cessation of non-profitable activities, productivity targets and asset disposal. Such conditions form part of the finance contracts and are monitored throughout project implementation.

Future Activities

The Commission states that the proposed new mandate of the EIB would be to build upon the existing achievements of the Bank, whilst broadening the geographical and sectoral focus of activities in line with the new political priorities of the EU. In light of this, the Commission is proposing to increase the budget. At EUR 31.5 billion the new amount would represent, in real terms, a seven year increase of around 16% - or slightly more than 2% annually.

The report points out that while the current EIB mandate has a fragmented geographical coverage, the proposed new mandate will offer a global coverage, by supporting the three circles of EU external policies namely: Pre-accession; Neighbourhood and Partnership; and Development Co-operation and Economic Co-operation. The amounts devoted to the different regions will depend on the relative importance of such regions within the EU’s external policy. The estimated allocation would be: Pre-accession +/- EUR 100 million; Neighbourhood and Partnership +/- EUR 40 million; and Development Co-operation and Economic Co-operation +/’- EUR 2 million.

The Commission is also proposing the introduction of a “Reserve Mandate” to cover unforeseen eventualities mainly triggered by natural disasters such a floods, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes/typhoons, tsunamis etc. but it would also cover post-conflict reconstruction. Concerning the guarantee coverage, the EIB will continue to extend the volume and the scope of its operations without Community guarantee wherever appropriate. For the period 2007-2013, financing in Croatia, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia would increasingly take place under the Pre-Accession Facility made available by the EIB, which should be extended over time to the rest of the Western Balkans.

Lastly, provisions will also be put in place to extend the country coverage of the EIB’s mandate namely Russia, the Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus, all of whom could become eligible as and when they comply with EU agreements. Other measures include linking up with related EU policies; co-operating with other IFI’s in the various regions and the provision of reporting and accounting methods.

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The Council decisions establishing the various lending instruments of the European Communities require the Commission to inform the Council and Parliament each year of the use made of these instruments. As for lending activities outside the Community, the Commission is required to inform the Council and Parliament on an annual basis of the situation regarding European Investment Bank (EIB) loans guaranteed by the Union budget in Central and Eastern Europe, in the Mediterranean countries, in Latin America and Asia and in South Africa.

In order to meet these information requirements, this report describes the operations for each of the areas concerned. To complete the picture of lending activities, it also gives a brief summary of the macro-financial assistance provided by the Community to third countries and of the interest subsidies and guarantees associated with Community loans. In addition, it provides information on Euratom’s lending activities.

Borrowing activities :

One borrowing for macro-financial assistance in 2004 was raised to grant a loan to Bosnia and Herzegovina. There were two borrowings under the Euratom loans instrument to finance loans to a nuclear plant in Bulgaria.

Total borrowing by the European Communities and the EIB increased in 2004 by 18.8% to EUR 49.9 billion, against EUR 42.1 billion the previous year, mainly due to an increase in borrowing by the EIB. Taking into account repayments, cancellations and exchange-rate fluctuations, the total amount of borrowing outstanding at 31 December 2004 was EUR 216.6 billion, 10.3% up on 2003

The breakdown of borrowing by currency shows a decrease in the share of Euro borrowings in 2004 to 44.9% from 54.9% in 2003 of all issues, while issues in other Community currencies decreased from 19.1% to 13.0%. Non-Community currencies took a greater share of borrowing, increasing from 26.0% to 42.0% of the total. Issues in USD were up from 23.0% to 41.6% on strong market demand and supported by very low interest rates and a weakening of the USD/Euro exchange rate.

Lending activities :

In Central and Eastern Europe , the Bank has again been active in 2004 although the number of countries eligible for financing under the pre-Accession agreements diminished following enlargement on May 1 st . After that date, the Bank continued activities in the remaining acceding and candidate States (Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Turkey) as well as continuing to support investments in the countries of the Western Balkans in various sectors (infrastructure, SMEs / micro-finance, etc.).

In 2004, the Bank continued operations under the Special Lending action for selected environmental projects in Baltic Sea basin of Russia while continuing to prepare for a new mandate covering operations in Russia and, for the first time, extended to Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine 5 .

The EIB gives priority to upgrading, modernising and developing the communications and energy sectors, with particular emphasis on Trans-European Networks (TENs) on the basis of the road and rail corridors defined by the Pan-European Conference of Transport Ministers as development priorities for the medium term.

Environmental issues related to EIB projects, as well as environmental projects per se, are given priority in the framework of the gradual adaptation of the legislation of the countries concerned to that of the EU. The EIB also supports SMEs and other industrial initiatives, in particular FDI (Foreign Direct Investment), either directly or through its global loan instrument, in particular when involving EU partners.

In the Mediterranean region , the Bank’s lending under mandate is carried out by the Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP) and takes place mainly within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, in support of the economic development of the countries concerned. EIB lending supports individual investment projects and, through the global loan mechanism, smaller projects and SMEs, while at the same time strengthening the financial sector in the various countries.

In 2004, FEMIP was reinforced by the creation of a special envelope to allow for extended risk-sharing operations and a trust fund, modelled on the special cofinancing funds of other International Financial Institutions (IFIs). Lending continued under the Turkey Special Action Programme and the available funds have now been fully utilised.

In Asia and Latin America , the Bank finances projects that are of interest to both the Community and the countries concerned – cofinancing with EU promoters, transfer of technology and cooperation in the fields of energy and environmental protection.

In the Republic of South Africa , the Bank’s objective is to contribute to the successful implementation of the country’s reconstruction and development programme.

-Total EIB lending in the ACP/OCT amounted to EUR 440 million in 2004, of which EUR 62 million from the Bank’s own resources and EUR 378 million from risk capital.

-During 2004 (the fifth year of the new mandate) the EIB signed loan agreements for a total of EUR 2,844 million, bringing total lending under the new mandate to EUR 13, 620 million corresponding to 70% of the ceiling, with risk-sharing equivalent to 20.8% of the loans signed.

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This report meets the requirement imposed on the Commission to inform the Council and the European Parliament on an annual basis of the borrowing and lending activities of the Community. The report therefore describes these operations for each of the areas concerned. To complete the picture of lending activities in 2003, it also gives a brief summary of the macro-financial assistance provided by the Community to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and of the interest subsidies and guarantees associated with Community loans. It also provides information on Euratom’s lending activities.

- Borrowing activities in 2003: given that the New Community Instrument ceilings have been fully used up and the ECSC Treaty expired in 2002, no funds were raised under these instruments in 2003. The borrowing for macro-financial assistance in 2003 was raised to grant loans to Serbia and Montenegro , the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Romania . There was only one borrowing under the Euratom loans instrument to Bulgaria . Despite these factors, total borrowing by the European Communities and the European Investment Bank (EIB) increased in 2003 by 10.5% to EUR 42.1 billion, against EUR 38.1 billion the previous year, mainly due to an increase in borrowings by the EIB. The total amount of borrowing outstanding as at 31 December 2003 was EUR 196.4 billion, 7.1% up on 2002. The breakdown of borrowing by currency shows a decrease in the share of Euro borrowings in 2003 to 54.9% from 59.0% in 2002 of all issues, while issues in other Community currencies increased from 17.7% to 19.1%.

- The Community’s macro-financial assistance in the form of loans: the Community’s action, which is by its very nature exceptional, focuses on neighbouring regions, such as Central and Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans, the Caucasus and the countries of the southern Mediterranean . As the candidate countries have made significant progress towards macro-economic adjustment and 10 of these countries joined the European Union in 2004, macro-financial assistance is gradually being phased out. In contrast, the Western Balkans region has significantly benefited over recent years from Community macro-financial assistance, which also includes a significant grant component. In the Western Balkans, the Council approved in 2003 supplementary macro-financial assistance in the form of a loan of EUR 25 million to Serbia and Montenegro , accompanied by a grant of up to EUR 45 million. Loan disbursements for a total amount of EUR 118 million were completed in 2003 in favour of Serbia and Montenegro (EUR 40 million), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (EUR 28 million) and Romania (EUR 50 million). Assistance in the form of outright grants totalling EUR 85 million was also paid out in 2003, of which EUR 7 million went to Tajikistan , EUR 25 million to Bosnia and Herzegovina , EUR 35 million to Serbia and Montenegro and EUR 18 million to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia .

- EIB lending in Central and Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia and Latin America and the Republic of South Africa : in Central and Eastern Europe , the Bank has again been active in the accession countries, helping them to progress with their preparations for accession and European integration. In addition, the Bank has developed a significant level of activity in the countries of the Western Balkans by supporting investment projects in Albania , Croatia , Serbia and Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia . In 2003 the Bank made its first investments in the health and education sectors in pursuit of one of its major new objectives. The EIB gave priority to upgrading, modernising and developing the communications and energy sectors, with particular emphasis on Trans-European Networks (TENs). Environmental issues related to EIB projects, as well as environmental projects per se, were given priority during the gradual adaptation of the legislation of the countries concerned to that of the EU.

In the Mediterranean region, the Bank’s lending under mandate takes place mainly within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, in support of the economic development of the countries concerned. EIB lending supported individual investment projects and, through the global loan mechanism, smaller projects and SMEs, while at the same time strengthening the financial sector in the various countries. In addition to its lending under mandate, the Bank has continued with its programme of lending from its own resources, without budgetary guarantee, under its Facility for Euro-Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP).

In Asia and Latin America, the Bank finances projects that are of interest to both the Community and the countries concerned – cofinancing with EU promoters, transfer of technology, cooperation in the fields of energy and environmental protection.

In the Republic of South Africa , the Bank’s objective is to contribute to the successful implementation of the country’s reconstruction and development programme.

The report finally notes that the cumulative total for risk-sharing projects since the start of lending activity under the Council Decisions established since 1 February 2000 was EUR 2 068 million at the end of 2003, i.e. 10.6% of the overall lending ceiling for these countries and 19.1% of lending to date.

- Lending activity of the Signatories of the Lomé/Cotonou Conventions: total EIB lending in the ACP/OCT amounted to EUR 463.2 million in 2003, of which EUR 177.6 million was from the Bank’s own resources and EUR 285.6 million from risk capital. This includes the first loans under the Cotonou Agreement which came into force on 1 April 2003.

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Decision 2000/24
OJ L 009 13.01.2000, p. 0024

T5-0123/1999
OJ C 189 07.07.2000, p. 0249-0267

T5-0123/1999

Debate in Parliament

A5-0051/1999
OJ C 189 07.07.2000, p. 0005

2212

A5-0051/1999

2205

2196

EUR-Lex
OJ C 145 26.05.1999, p. 0010
COM(1999)0142

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COM(1999)0142