The European Investment Bank (EIB) has underlined its commitment to building economic resilience and supporting growth and job-creation in the EU Southern Neighbourhood. This was the key message of the Bank’s 18th edition of the EIB-Med conference “Improving Lives and Creating New Opportunities” held yesterday in Amman in partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the European Union Delegation to Jordan.

The conference discussed key economic developments in the region and explored successful projects that help to tackle different challenges in the context of the EIB’s Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI) including in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. Government officials and key economists presented and evaluated the macroeconomic performance of the Southern Mediterranean Countries. Experts described the ongoing developments in the water sector with a focus on current projects to help tackle the water scarcity challenge. In addition, entrepreneurs and other business representatives highlighted the key role of the private sector development for job-creation and for reinvigorating the economy.

Under the Economic Resilience Initiative, and with support from the European Commission and EU member states, the EIB has scaled up its financing activities in the EU neighbourhood considerably.  New financing worth €1.8 billion for 19 projects covering in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Morocco and Tunisia has been approved by the EU Bank. This includes projects in the education, industry, water and sewerage, solid waste, energy, transport and SMEs sectors thanks to €130 million donor funds raised from EU Member States, including Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the UK. In addition, €90 million for technical assistance and advisory services has been agreed as part of EIB’s own contribution.

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Press Release

European Investment Bank (EIB)