InvestEU, which builds on the successful model of the Investment Plan for Europe, is designed to address current challenges, and is implemented by the EIB Group (European Investment Bank and European Investment Fund) and other financial partners.
The InvestEU Fund will mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment by 2027 through an EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. Financial partners such as the EIB Group will use the guarantee to provide long-term financing for public and private sector projects. In addition to the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF), who are the main implementing partners, international financial institutions active in Europe and national promotional banks will be able to use a share of the guarantee (25% in total) to support investment and project schemes.
The InvestEU roadshow event on Friday in Vilnius brought together ministries, senior representatives of public authorities, local and regional communities, business stakeholders, private equity and venture capital associations, funds and banks, who were presented with a set of new financial instruments to support investment.
EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros, responsible for the Group’s activity in the Baltics, said: “I strongly believe that this renewed partnership with the European Commission, building on the strengths of the EIB Group in terms of financing and advisory, will contribute to a greener, stronger and more innovative Lithuania and Europe. InvestEU makes EU funding simpler to access and more effective.”
In his opening speech, Vice-Minister of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania Mindaugas Liutvinskas commented: “The launch of InvestEU comes just at the right time, as we face high uncertainty on future economic developments and deal with multiple challenges. The InvestEU programme will give an additional boost to investment, innovation and job creation across the European Union and in Lithuania by offering instruments to mobilise additional financing for strategic areas, such as the green and digital transitions. Given today’s geopolitical situation, the green transition has become even more critical, as it is the only way to ensure independence from Russian fossil fuels and increase our resilience to future shocks. InvestEU can significantly contribute to the achievement of this goal.”
Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said: “InvestEU opens a new chapter in Lithuania to invest into sustainability, innovation, digitalisation, small and medium-sized businesses, and skills. It centralises EU funding under one integrated EU budget guarantee instrument, making it a one-stop shop for long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds to support sustainable businesses. I am looking forward to seeing many InvestEU projects in Lithuania and across the EU.”
As of May 2022, total financing by the EIB Group in Lithuania under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) — the predecessor programme of InvestEU backed by the European Union — amounts to €434 million and is set to trigger €1.9 billion in additional investment.
Background information
European Investment Bank (EIB): The EIB, as the EU bank, is jointly owned by the 27 EU Member States. Through its lending, blending and advisory activities, it seeks to boost Europe's potential in terms of jobs and growth, support action to adapt to and mitigate climate change and promote EU policies outside the European Union. Between 2015 and 2020, the EIB was the implementing partner of the European Fund for Strategic Investments and manager of the European Investment Advisory Hub, the main pillars of the Investment Plan for Europe.
European Investment Fund (EIF): The EIF is part of the EIB Group. It supports Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by improving their access to finance through a wide range of selected financial intermediaries. The EIF designs, promotes and implements equity and debt financing instruments targeting SMEs. In this role, it fosters EU objectives in support of entrepreneurship, growth, innovation, research and development, the green and digital transitions and employment.
The InvestEU programme seeks to boost crucial investments across Europe in support of the European Union’s policy priorities. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund will mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment by 2027 through an EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The guarantee is used by financial partners to provide long-term financing for public and private sector projects. Investments under the InvestEU programme focus on four policy areas: sustainable infrastructure; research, innovation and digitisation; small and medium-sized businesses; and social investment and skills. The EIB Group is the main implementing partner of the InvestEU Fund.
