PARIS - The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) approved 14 new loans totalling about €1 billion. The financing will support investments in multiple social sectors, such as health, education and housing, as well improve access to funding for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The loans will support Europe's recovery and strengthen social cohesion, with a focus on the most vulnerable and those severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Albania: A €60 million Public Sector Financing Facility (PFF) to the Government to finance COVID-19 vaccines, medical supplies and equipment as well as medical and auxiliary staff costs, for the benefit of all residents.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: A €4 million Programme Loan to Partner Microcredit Foundation to provide financing to private households, particularly low-income persons in rural areas, and micro-enterprises for energy efficiency improvements. The investments will generate energy savings and reduce CO2 emissions.

France: A €21 million Programme Loan to SCI Campus Pasteur Lille and a €20 Programme Loan to SCI Auber. The loan to SCI Campus Pasteur Lille will support the campus expansion by two new buildings that will offer adequate work space for partner companies and start-ups from the health innovation sector. The loan to SCI Auber will finance the reconstruction of the historic campus of Institut Catholique d'Arts et Métiers (ICAM).

Germany: An additional €140 million Programme Loan to Investitionsbank Brandenburg (ILB) to support the implementation of the national COVID-19 vaccination strategy in the state of Brandenburg. The beneficiaries will be the inhabitants of Brandenburg at large, and in particular those more exposed to a COVID-19 infection, such as medical staff or persons in refugee and homeless shelters.

Hungary: An additional €152 million Public Sector Financing Facility to the Government for COVID-19 healthcare expenditure, such as medical supplies and equipment, for the benefit of Hungarian population at large.

Ireland: A €75 million Programme Loan to the Housing Finance Agency PLC to increase the supply of purpose-built student accommodation in the vicinity of Universities. The beneficiaries will include prioritised groups such as students with disabilities.

Luxembourg: A €3 million Programme Loan to Redi Economic Development SA to enhance economic activities and to improve access to funding for entrepreneurs from Roma communities in Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Romania and Serbia. The loan will help to tackle Roma social marginalisation and exclusion.

North Macedonia: A €1 million Programme Loan to Microcredit Foundation Horizonti to ease access to finance for lower-income persons (e.g. private households, micro-enterprises and farmers) and vulnerable groups such as Roma.

Poland: A PLN 70 million Project Loan to theWarsaw School of Economics (WSE) to finance the extension of the Warsaw campus for the benefit of WSE students and academic and administrative staff.

Romania: A €216 million Programme Loan to the Government to support the rehabilitation, completion and construction of six historical monuments and two cultural public buildings included on Romania's priority heritage and cultural infrastructure list. Visitors, spectators, readers, trainees and learners will benefit directly from the infrastructure improvements and from a greater variety of cultural events.

Slovak Republic: A €40 million EU Co-financing Facility (ECF) to the Žilina Self-Governing Region and an additional €30 million Programme Loan to the Trnava Self-Governing Region to reduce regional imbalances and strengthen social cohesion. The loan to Žilina will ensure the bridge-financing needed for future EU-funded investments in transportation, healthcare, education and other social infrastructure.The loan to Trnava will finance transportation infrastructure and the reconstruction and refurbishment of education and social service facilities as well as national and historical monuments.

Spain: An additional €200 million Public Sector Financing Facility (PFF) to Communidad de Madrid to strengthen the region's response to COVID-19. The PFF will allow Madrid to hire medical staff for the hospitals and care homes for the elderly, and to acquire medical and pharmaceutical supplies.

Set up in 1956, the CEB (Council of Europe Development Bank) has 42 member states. Twenty-two Central, Eastern and South Eastern European countries, forming the Bank's target countries, are listed among the member states. As a major instrument of the policy of solidarity in Europe, the Bank finances social projects by making available resources raised in conditions reflecting the quality of its rating (Aa1 with Moody's, outlook stable, AAA with Standard & Poor's, outlook stable, AA+ with Fitch Ratings, outlook stable and AAA* with Scope Ratings, outlook stable). It thus grants loans to its member states, and to financial institutions and local authorities in its member states for the financing of projects in the social sector, in accordance with its Articles of Agreement.
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