>@EIB/To be defined

On 22 April 2014, following on from the first Assises européennes du financement des entreprises (AEFE – the European Conference for financing SMEs), which was held in 2013 at the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance, the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and the association PME* Finance launched the second of these Conferences in the presence of Michel SAPIN, Minister of Finance and Public Accounts, and Arnaud Montebourg, Minister of the Economy, Productive Recovery and the Digital Economy. These Conferences, organised in partnership with the Rhône-Alpes Regional Council, have brought together 500 business leaders, bankers, investors and public authorities.

This Conference, with its national and European remit, clearly illustrates the importance attached to the role of SMEs and mid-cap companies in the return to growth in France and Europe. It reflects even more the mobilisation of political and business leaders to provide concrete, sustainable solutions to companies' financing needs.

Innovation, as a crucial component of support for growth and employment, has been at the heart of the discussions on finding innovative solutions to the issue of financing businesses in France and Europe. With that in mind, the EIB Group has established a partnership with Bpifrance to support innovative companies across the regions via a EUR 950m financial facility, which will significantly increase the availability of "loans for innovation" in France.

In addition, to increase the finance available to mid-caps in France, the EIB – together with the regions and economic actors – is working on establishing a facility tailored to their specific development needs that is in accordance with best national and regional practice in this field.

New measures have recently been launched in France, such as the share savings plan involving investment in SMEs, private equity, simplification of crowdfunding and the establishment of debt funds. These initiatives will help to revive investment and ultimately future growth and employment.

"This Conference demonstrates our deeply European commitment and belief that solutions to revive growth inevitably involve Europe," declared Philippe de Fontaine Vive at the opening of this Conference.Innovation is the best ally of growth. Our aim is clear: to meet the needs of businesses as best we can. We are mobilising resources and expertise, we are adapting our tools so that they are more efficient but also accessible." He concluded: "There is an urgent need to use Europe's available savings to support productive investment in Europe and to get France's banking sector to focus on serving the real economy to preserve Europe's competitiveness."

In 2013 the resources deployed by the EIB Group enabled more than EUR 1.8bn to be made available to French SMEs: EUR 1.3bn from the EIB and EUR 546m from its subsidiary specialising in financing businesses and micro-enterprises, the European Investment Fund. Thanks to the leveraging effect of this support, nearly 150 000 investments have been made by companies, involving a total amount of EUR 5.6bn.

*PME – Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (SMEs – small and medium-sized enterprises)

Discours Ouverture des Assises à Lyon de M. Philippe de Fontaine Vive, vice-président de la BEI

Dossier Assises Européennes du Financement des Entreprises

Action de la BEI en faveur des PME et de l'innovation