The President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group, Nadia Calviño, met Romania’s political leadership to discuss priorities for future financing, and growth-enhancing investment goals.
The meetings in Bucharest follow two months of intensive engagement between the President of the EIB Group and the Bank’s shareholders and stakeholders, during which President Calviño visited several capitals and exchanged views with heads of government and ministers. The discussions build on the eight strategic priorities outlined by the president in her meeting with EU finance ministers in Ghent, Belgium, and in a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
President Calviño met with Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu, and Finance Minister Marcel-Ioan Bolos to discuss ways in which the EIB Group can further support the country through strategic investments. Both Prime Minister Ciolacu and Minister Bolos agreed that the EIB Group and Romania’s government can work even more closely together, in particular on priorities such as infrastructure, jobs and skills, health and the green transition, which will ensure European competitiveness and economic resilience. President Iohannis and President Calviño also discussed the EIB Group’s support for the Romanian economy, as well as broader EU policy priorities, including financing for Ukraine.
Romanian Minister of Finance Marcel-Ioan Boloș said:” Romania will continue to strength its partnership with the European Investment Bank Group for the implementation of reforms and major investments, supporting strategic projects in agriculture, infrastructure, education and health. We rely on EIB for the diversification of the financial products and its involvement in private sector financing. Through continued collaboration, we aim to promote innovation and contribute to energy security and the transition to a sustainable and resilient economy. We highly recognize the EIB major role in energy security and EU strategic autonomy areas, in particular in the current geopolitical context”.
In total, the EIB has committed over EUR19 billion in financing for 193 projects in Romania since the start of its operations in the country in 1991. Highlights from last year’s results include over EUR2 billion worth of agreements to facilitate access to finance for Romanian SMEs and mid-caps, including in agriculture, over €1 billion for sustainable energy and natural resources, and over EUR1 billion for sustainable cities and regions.
Like everywhere in Europe and the world, the EIB is supporting a swift and just transition away from fossil fuels. This is necessary to ensure Europe’s energy independence. From financing solar panels on rooftops of industrial buildings, to the rollout of electric vehicle charging stations, and new wind and solar capacity, the EIB Group is making sure that Romania will be a leader in the green transition.
Safe and clean nuclear power generation is a key component of Europe’s strategy to achieve its climate goals and eliminate its dependence on fossil fuels. That’s why the EIB recently announced €145 million in financing to support the construction of Europe’s first tritium removal facility in Romania. The project will help protect the environment, and the health and safety of staff working in nuclear facilities.
Reflecting the country’s priorities, and the importance of connectivity between cohesion regions in Europe, EUR800 million was signed in 2023 for safer road transport, including EUR200 million for the A3 motorway and a EUR600 million first tranche of the A7 project. These operations are part of a EUR4 billion financing request that was received by the Bank in 2022 to co-finance projects in the transport and health sectors, which are also backed by EU funding (the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the multiannual financial framework).
A particular focus in Romania is on the health sector, where the EIB is helping local innovators and industries thrive and compete globally: the EIB is financing and, crucially, also advising Antibiotice, Romania’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturer, to boost production capacity.