Supporting entrepreneurship in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific

The central focus of the Cotonou agreement, under which the EIB’s lending activities in the ACP regions have been carried out since 2000, is the reduction and eventual eradication of poverty in developing countries through sustained economic growth, private sector development, increased employment and improved access to productive resources. Building up a dynamic and sustainable private sector, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), is the most effective means of achieving this aim. In 2011 alone, 20 of the 26 projects signed in the ACP were private sector initiatives. Recent projects highlight the innovative and diverse ways in which the EIB supports economic development through local entrepreneurship in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific.