Finance agreements in Netherlands and Romania as Juncker Plan now set to trigger more than €240 billion

The Investment Plan for Europe – the Juncker Plan – is now expected to trigger €240.9 billion in investments. This represents just over three-quarters of the €315 billion target of total investments mobilised that was originally earmarked. Following this month’s meeting of the European Investment Bank‘s (EIB) Board of Directors, operations approved under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) have a total financing volume of €47.4 billion and are located in all 28 Member States. Around 461,000 small and medium-sized businesses are expected to benefit from improved access to finance as a result of agreements supported by the Plan. The European Commission and the EIB Group estimate that the EFSI has so far supported 300,000 jobs across the EU. By 2020 that figure should be 700,000. Two loan agreements made possible by the EFSI signed today demonstrate the quality and diversity of the investments supported by the Juncker Plan. In the Netherlands, a €100 million loan will finance the construction of a new hospital in Breda. The new hospital will provide multidisciplinary care, including 500 new single patient rooms and 20 operating theatres. It is expected to cater for around 3,000 patients and will employ some 4,500 staff. In Romania, a €7.5 million loan to GreenFiber International SA will finance a recycling and circular economy project that will create 280 jobs and process over 50,000 tonnes of waste per year. Commenting on the transaction in Romania, Commissioner Creţu, responsible for Regional Policy, said: “A circular economy means a goldmine of opportunities; for our economy, for our environment and for our citizens, as this is fertile ground for job creation. With this forward-looking EFSI project, the Investment Plan is working for Romania’s future. In addition, I welcome these three new SME initiative agreements in the country; I’m glad to see this innovative Cohesion Policy programme delivering results on the ground.”