EIB blijft midden- en kleinbedrijf in Moldavië steunen (en)

PRESS RELEASE

BEI/13/184

Luxembourg/Chisinau, 18 November 2013

EIB continues to support projects of SMEs and mid-caps in Moldova

The European Investment Bank (EIB) lends EUR 20 million to CB Mobiasbanca - Groupe Société Générale SA - to finance projects of SMEs and smaller and medium sized projects promoted by midcap companies in the Republic of Moldova.

The EIB funds will co-finance projects important for the development of the private sector and undertakings in the areas of social and economic infrastructure as well as the climate change mitigation and adaptation. Including the current loan, the EIB has provided intermediated loans supporting SME and midcap company projects in Moldova totalling to EUR 60 million, after the Bank was invited by the 2009 Eastern Partnership Summit to extend its investment support for SMEs in the Eastern Partnership Region.

This loan will bring the EIB lending commitments in Moldova to some EUR 420 million. It represents a continuation of the successful cooperation between the EIB and Mobiasbanca. Before, in 2010 the EIB granted to this partner financial institution a loan of EUR 20 million that has been successfully disbursed supporting SME projects in Moldova.

This operation is in line with the EIB’s priority to provide a better access to long term financing to SMEs. This will support growth by fostering economic restructuring, consolidation and diversification as well as strengthening competitiveness of the SME sector.

Background information

The EIB - the European Union’s bank - finances projects in Moldova on the basis of an EU Council and European Parliament mandate for the countries of the Eastern Neighbourhood (Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia) of EUR 3.84 billion for the period 2007-2013. The current mandate provides for the financing of projects of significant interest to both the EU and its Eastern Neighbours, in the areas of local private sector support, social and economic infrastructure and climate change.

The EIB has also set up at its own risk the Eastern Partners Facility (EPF) for an amount of EUR 1.5 billion, with a ceiling of EUR 500 million for loans in Russia. This facility enables the EIB to provide loans to support investment grade projects beyond the scope of the mandate and helps to promote EU investment in the region, notably by European corporates.

Press contact

Dušan Ondrejička, d.ondrejicka@eib.org, tel.: +352-4379-83334

Website: www.eib.org/press - Press Office: +352 4379 21000 - press@eib.org