The EIB Group together with the European Commission (EC) announced on Monday, March 6, that it has launched the InvestEU programme in Slovenia.
The EIB group consists of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and its subsidiary, the European Investment Fund (EIF).
The aim is to identify potential investment areas in the country that could benefit from this support.
Slovenian Minister of Finance, Klemen Boštjančič, says, “Slovenia’s economy recorded one of the fastest recoveries from the pandemic, however, we are faced with new challenges. The government adopted several measures mitigating the effects of the energy crisis and they have already had some positive effects, including on inflation trends.”
He continues, “Investments play an important role in stimulating further growth and we are implementing green investments and investments in the field of digitalisation with our resources and with the support of various EU instruments. Investments need to be maintained at a high level to ensure growth and productivity, as well as green and digital transitions.”
“This could also be achieved via InvestEU. This programme is still at an early stage, and we hope that our private companies will also benefit from it in the near future. The EIB has in recent decades been a key partner to our private sector as well as supporting our main infrastructure projects.”
“We expect the EIB to continue its successful cooperation, especially with financial intermediaries in Slovenia. The cooperation goes both ways and we can highlight our contributions to some EIB initiatives, namely the Economic Resilience Initiative, the FEMIP Trust Fund, and the Pan-European Guarantee Fund,” he says.
InvestEU: Intends to mobilise €372B by 2027
The InvestEU programme, with an EU budget guarantee of €26.2B, intends to mobilise more than €372B in financing across Europe by 2027.
It will prioritise the EU’s strategic objectives, such as the European Green Deal, digital transformation, and social projects related to education, health, and housing.
At least 30 per cent of this financing will go towards projects that address climate change or its impacts.
The event was launched by Klemen Boštjančič, the Slovenian Minister of Finance, along with Lilyana Pavlova, EIB Vice-President, and Markus Schulte, Principal Adviser at the European Commission.
Principal Adviser at the European Commission, Markus Schulte, adds, “The InvestEU Programme is a crucial tool to deliver on our common objectives, especially the green and digital transitions but also the European Union’s strategic autonomy. Through a guarantee from the EU budget, InvestEU continues EU efforts to boost investment in Europe.”
“It offers great opportunities to Slovenian businesses. Together, we can harness its full potential to channel investment toward sustainable growth and create high-quality jobs in Slovenia. I am delighted to be present in Ljubljana today for its launch event,” adds Schulte.
EIB Vice-President, Lilyana Pavlova, says, “In the face of multiple challenges that the European Union is currently facing, we owe it to our children not to confuse short-term fixes with longer-term solutions. The digital and green transitions remain our priority and the best way to ensure safe, affordable, and secure energy for Europe and the world.”
“InvestEU is a key programme of the European Commission, with the EIF and the EIB as lead implementing partners, that will help to make the economy greener, more digital, and more inclusive. By combining public funds with our expertise, InvestEU will be a key tool for financing high-impact projects in Slovenia and the European Union as a whole,” adds Pavlova.
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