France

The EIB Group – comprising the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) – and Groupe BPCE recently signed two financing initiatives totalling over €1 billion to back innovation, research and energy transition projects led by small businesses and mid-caps.

The European investment bank (EIB) and Fabentech, a leading French biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development and production of therapeutics against biological threats, have signed a €20 million financing under the HERA Invest mechanism. This €100 million initiative is part of the European Health Union and aims at supporting health emergency prevention and preparedness in Europe, particularly in response to deliberate or natural emergence of biological threats. This significant financing is the result of a thorough analysis of the project’ soundness and is a recognition of the quality of Fabentech’s product portfolio to improve the preparation of Europe against biological threats.

Métropole Européenne de Lille (Lille metropolitan authority) has taken out a €245 million green loan with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to fund its public transport network and cycle routes. It aims to provide 1.2 million local residents with more efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly transport services.