With nearly 10 billion euros in projects financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) in 2022, France was last year the second beneficiary of loans from the financing institution, according to figures presented on Monday.
Some 8.4 billion euros have been granted to French companies and local authorities via the EIB, and 1.5 billion via its subsidiary dedicated to financing SMEs, the European Investment Fund.
The EIB group granted a total of 72.5 billion euros in financing in 2022, of which Italy was the first beneficiary with 10.09 billion, ahead of France and Spain tied (9.96 billion euros each) and Germany (6.61 billion).
As far as France is concerned, nearly 6 billion euros in loans have been devoted to renewable energies, clean mobility and energy efficiency, according to the press release from the EIB. For example, the institution has supported the construction machinery rental company Loxam to the tune of 130 million euros, to help it electrify its fleet.
800 million euros for the Seine-Nord Europe canal
Another priority of the EIB in France: innovation, which benefited from an envelope of 2.7 billion euros in 2022. Compared to 2021 (13.9 billion euros), the financing granted to French companies and local authorities has decline of four billion euros.
But 2021 was an exceptional year with the establishment of the European Guarantee Fund, according to EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle.
This tool intended to support companies during the Covid boosted the figure in 2021, he underlined during a press conference Monday morning in Paris.
If we look at the long-term trend, the figure is increasing, he assured, before adding that in France, the average size of projects is decreasing and the average risk of projects is increasing.
Among the biggest projects financed in 2022, the EIB notably provided 800 million euros for the Seine-Nord Europe canal, granted 315 million to the automotive supplier Forvia (hydrogen storage) and invested 750 million in public transport in the metropolis. Lyon and the Rhône department.