Spain: EIB and Castilla y León regional government sign €120 million loan to finance public hospital and healthcare facility renovations in five regional provinces

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• The loan will help strengthen public healthcare services in the Spanish region, and will also cover the purchase of medical equipment.
• The loan signed is the first tranche of financing totalling up to €175 million approved by the EIB.
• The agreement highlights efforts to promote economic, social and territorial cohesion, one of the EIB Group's priorities.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €120 million loan with the regional government of Castilla y León to finance the renovation and expansion of a series of hospitals and public healthcare facilities in the Spanish region's cities of Valladolid, Salamanca, Palencia, Soria and Aranda de Duero.

The projects will include the construction of two primary healthcare centres affiliated with the Valladolid and Salamanca University Hospitals, the renovation and expansion of the Palencia Río Carrión Hospital, the second phase of construction of the Soria Santa Bárbara Hospital, and the construction of the new Aranda de Duero Hospital in the regional province of Burgos.

The financing will also cover the purchase of medical equipment for the hospitals and primary healthcare centres to be renovated and expanded in five of the regional provinces. The EIB loan will enable the regional government to strengthen public healthcare services for people in the area. According to estimates by the Castilla y León regional government, the financed projects will benefit some 830 000 people once completed.

The loan is the first tranche of financing totalling up to €175 million for the regional government of Castilla y León approved by the EIB. It is part of the EIB's efforts to finance the healthcare sector to continue supporting effective, accessible and resilient healthcare systems.

The project will enable regional public healthcare services to better respond to various challenges, such as the growing healthcare needs of an ageing population requiring more beds for long-term care and functional rehabilitation, and potential future health emergencies. The new facilities will also reduce energy consumption, benefiting society and the environment overall.

The agreement highlights the EIB Group's commitment to economic, social and territorial cohesion, which is one of its priorities. All the projects will take place within Castilla y León, which the European Union considers to be a transition region as its gross domestic product per capita is between 75% and 100% of the EU average.

The operation is in line with the Urban Agenda for the European Union, and will help to make public healthcare systems more cost-effective, equitable and sustainable, which is one of the European Union's priority objectives.

Background information

EIB

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances sound investments that contribute to EU policy objectives. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality.

The European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group), consisting of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Investment Fund (EIF), reported total financing signatures in Spain of €11.4 billion in 2023, approximately €6.8 billion of which went to climate action and environmental sustainability projects. Overall, the EIB Group signed €88 billion in new financing in 2023.

Related project(s)

CASTILLA Y LEON HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE II