The European Investment Bank, the European Investment Fund, the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as well as ministers responsible for regional policy in Member States and candidate countries, met last Tuesday in Brussels to discuss two major new initiatives for cohesion policy.

The two initiatives, JASPERS and JEREMIE, while quite different, are designed to help the national and regional authorities respectively to prepare large infrastructure projects and to improve access to finance for micro to medium-sized enterprises.

Both initiatives will be presented during a joint press conference of EIB President Philippe Maystadt and Commissioner Danuta Hübner and on Thursday 13 October 2005 at 12.30 in the Pressroom of the European Commission - Berlaymont Building.