LUXEMBOURG, / RankWire.AI / July 16, 2026: The European Investment Bank Group has sanctioned €17.4 billion in new funding for initiatives in energy, transportation, healthcare, education, and business sectors, including €3.7 billion dedicated to projects aimed at decreasing Europe’s reliance on fossil fuels. The package, approved by the boards of the European Investment Bank and its specialized subsidiary, the European Investment Fund, encompasses an €800 million loan for upgrading Unit 1 at Romania’s Cernavodă nuclear power plant and support for border crossings connecting Ukraine with the European Union and Moldova.
The financing package from the EIB Group will back electrical grids in Belgium and Spain, wind energy farms in Germany, solar power projects in France, as well as the Romanian nuclear initiative. Cernavodă, managed by Nuclearelectrica, provides roughly 20% of Romania’s electricity. The approved loan will fund the replacement of key components and system upgrades at Unit 1, ensuring the reactor’s safe and reliable operation. This energy initiative forms part of the group’s broader strategy to expand electrification, enhance energy security, and support infrastructure necessary for Europe’s shift away from oil and gas.
EIB supports €3.7 billion for energy-related projects
Nadia Calviño, president of the EIB Group, stated that the approved projects would bolster European security and independence while maintaining affordable energy for households and businesses. She further noted that the institution is on track for another prosperous year, with record investments in electricity grids, interconnectors, and key technologies supporting the energy transition. These latest approvals follow the group’s €100 billion of financing and advisory commitments in 2025, spanning over 870 projects across climate action, technology, security, cohesion, agriculture, social infrastructure, and international partnerships.
The funding package also extends to transportation, public services, and corporate investments across various European nations. The EIB board approved financing for new trains in Austria, hospital upgrades in the Czech Republic, cultural and sports facilities in Sweden, and investments in kindergartens and schools in Lithuania. Additional measures aim to enhance business competitiveness in Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. While the announcement did not specify the exact value of each individual transaction, the approvals were presented as part of a single financing round covering public sector assets, industrial investments, and credit access.
Funding for grids in Belgium and Spain approved
The boards also agreed to increase financing capacity for European enterprises through securitisation and guarantees. The EIB doubled a pan-European securitisation program to €6 billion, and the EIF approved several securitisation and guarantee transactions linked to the European Union savings and investment agenda. Securitisation allows banks to free up capital tied to existing assets, enabling them to extend more credit. The EIB indicated that these measures would direct funding toward green and innovative projects, bolster competitiveness, and expand access to capital for companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises and startups.
Approvals related to Ukraine include financing to upgrade border crossings on routes that are part of the trans-European transport network. The upgrades will improve processing terminals, customs facilities, and digital systems, strengthening connectivity between Ukraine, the EU, and Moldova. The EIB Group also approved new financial support for Ukrainian firms, continuing its backing for the country’s economic resilience and recovery efforts. Ukraine remained the group’s primary external focus in 2025, with the bank committing a record amount to projects supporting essential services and economic functioning.
Beyond the EU, the EIB Group’s funding package includes investments in wind energy in Egypt, solar power and grid projects in Tunisia, and sustainable agriculture initiatives in Moldova. These approvals align with the EU’s Global Gateway program, which finances infrastructure and partnerships in sectors such as energy, transport, digital connectivity, health, and education. The EIB Group, owned by the 27 EU member states, functions as the bloc’s long-term financing arm, with the EIF focusing on guarantees, securitisation, and equity instruments to mobilize private investment.