Search EN
  • FR
  • DE
menu en EIB GROUP CLIENT PORTAL
Close EIB GROUP CLIENT PORTAL
Search
Search
  • Who we are
  • back
    • Overview
    • EIB Global
    • Climate bank
    • EIB Group at a glance
    • back
      • Overview
      • Tackling global challenges together
      • Partners
      • Part of the EU family
    • Our priorities
    • Our results
    • back
      • Overview
      • EIB Group impact: Boosting GDP and jobs
      • EIB Group and the Sustainable Development Goals
    • Governance and structure
    • back
      • Overview
      • Shareholders
      • Statutory bodies
      • Control and evaluation
      • Organisation structure
    • Corporate responsibility
    • back
      • Overview
      • Providing finance
      • Borrowing
      • Human rights and the EIB
      • Reporting on sustainability
      • Our internal commitment
      • Managing our environment
    • Transparency, accountability and access to information
    • back
      • Overview
      • Transparency and access to information
      • EIB Group Complaints Mechanism overview
      • Project procurement complaints
      • Investigating fraud and misconduct
      • Evaluation
      • Compliance
      • Public consultations
    • European Investment Fund
    • EIB Institute
  • What we offer
  • back
    • Overview
    • Loans
    • back
      • Overview
      • Loans for the public sector
      • Framework loans for the public sector
      • Loans for the private sector
      • Intermediated loans for SMEs, mid-caps and other priorities
      • Microfinance
    • Equity
    • back
      • Overview
      • Venture debt
      • Co-investment facilities
      • Investment funds
    • Guarantees
    • back
      • Overview
      • Credit enhancement for project finance
      • Guarantees in support of SMEs, mid-caps and other objectives
    • Advisory services
    • Mandates and partnerships
    • back
      • Overview
      • InvestEU
      • RRF and financial instruments
      • Shared management funds and financial instruments
      • NDICI – Global Europe
      • Donor partnerships
      • All mandates and partnerships
      • European Guarantee Fund
      • EFSI and its legacy
      • EU Blending facilities
      • EU Trade and Competitiveness Programme in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia
    • One-stop shop
    • back
      • Housing
      • Security and defence
      • TechEU
  • Our work
  • back
    • Overview
    • Our projects
    • back
      • All projects
      • Projects to be financed
      • Financed projects
    • Our priorities
    • back
      • Overview
      • Climate and environment
      • Innovation, digital and human capital
      • Security and defence
      • Regional development and cohesion
      • Agriculture and bioeconomy
      • Social infrastructure
      • EIB Global
      • Capital Markets Union
    • Our regions of activity
    • back
      • Overview
      • European Union
      • Enlargement countries
      • Western Balkans
      • Eastern Neighbourhood
      • Southern Neighbourhood
      • Sub-Saharan Africa
      • Latin America and the Caribbean
      • Asia and Pacific
      • EFTA countries
      • United Kingdom
    • Global investment map
    • Project cycle
    • Evaluation
  • Media centre
  • back
    • Overview
    • Newsroom
    • back
      • Overview
      • All releases
      • Press contacts
    • Stories and essays
    • back
      • Overview
      • Stories
      • Essays
      • Podcasts
      • All cartoons
    • Video library
    • Events
    • Newsletter
    • Public register
    • EIB surveys
    • back
      • Overview
      • EIB climate survey
    • EIB Group picture library
    • back
      • Our management
      • EIB headquarters
      • Flagship projects
      • “Our Future: Building a greener and brighter Europe” exhibition 2025
      • Former members of the management committee
    • Infographics
    • Our logo
  • Publications and research
  • back
    • Overview
    • Publications
    • back
      • Find a publication
    • Our research
    • back
      • Overview
      • Economic analysis
      • Surveys and data
      • Assessing EIB impact
      • Economics
      • Economic conferences and research networks
    • EIB open data
    • Open learning
  • Work with us
  • back
    • Overview
    • How to receive EIB support
    • Careers
    • back
      • Overview
      • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
      • Salary and benefits
      • Our recruitment process
    • Investor relations
    • back
      • Overview
      • Our funding
      • Climate and Sustainability Awareness Bonds
      • Recent issues
      • Outstanding issues
      • Investor relations news
      • Investor relations publications
      • Investor relations newsletter
    • Civil society and stakeholder engagement
    • Procurement
    • EIB Contacts
  • Easy-to-read
  • back
    • The EIB at a glance
    • The EIB and development
    • The EIB and climate action
    • The EIB and SMEs
    • The EIB and Ukraine
Results
Top 5 search results See all results Advanced search
Top searches
Most visited pages
  • Home
    • Who we are
    • What we offer
    • Our work
    • Media centre
    • Publications and research
    • Privacy
  • Publications and research
    • Publications
    • Our research
    • EIB open data
    • Open learning
  • Publications

The Bank of the European Union - The EIB, 1958-2008

  • Publication information

    4 Feb 2013

    DOI: 10.2867/18180

  • English (EN)
  • français (FR)
  • Deutsch (DE)
  • English (EN)
  • français (FR)
  • Deutsch (DE)

Description

Published in February 2008, this publication is available free of charge from 1st February 2013.

The history of the European Investment Bank cannot be dissociated from that of the European project itself or from the stages in its implementation. First broached during the inter-war period, the idea of an institution for the financing of major infrastructure in Europe resurfaced in 1949 at the time of reconstruction and the Marshall Plan, when Maurice Petsche proposed the creation of a European investment bank to the Organisation for European Economic Cooperation.

The creation of the Bank was finalised during the negotiations which preceded the signing of the Treaty of Rome establishing the European Economic Community. As well as contributing to the financing of projects of common interest, it also met the concerns of those who feared that the common market would accentuate imbalances in regional development or hasten the decline of certain industries. The Bank would thus mobilise capital to promote the cohesion of the European area and modernise the economy. These initial objectives have not been abandoned.

However, today's EIB is very different from that which started operating in 1958. The Europe of Six has become that of Twenty-Seven (27 EU Member States as at time of publishing); the individual national economies have given way to the 'single market'; there has been continuous technological progress, whether in industry or financial services; and the concerns of European citizens have changed. This work is thus a history book. It follows the successive enlargements of the European Union as well as the changes in the economic and political environment. It endeavours to understand how the EIB has set its course over half a century of upheavals whilst remaining true to plans of its founders.

Other publications you may like...

3 October 2025

Stakeholder Engagement: EIB Group Climate Bank Roadmap Phase 2 2026-2030 and Energy Sector Orientation

This report provides an overview of the engagement process and a summary of the contributions received and EIB Group’s response to the key issues raised.
Climate and environment Energy
3 October 2025

Energy Sector Orientation

Powering competitiveness, climate action and strategic autonomy
Energy
3 October 2025

Climate Bank Roadmap Phase 2

Phase 2 of the Climate Bank Roadmap ensures that the EIB Group will stay on course with its climate objectives through 2030, supporting EU priorities and simplifying processes.
Climate and environment
 
  GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Receive updates of the EIB Group’s activities in Europe and around the world.

Thank you for subscribing.
Next
 
 
Please use a valid email address
European Investment Bank

European Investment Bank | European Investment Fund

Information
  • Careers
  • Investor relations
  • Contact
  • Fraud warning
  • Privacy
  • Terms of use
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Receive updates of the EIB Group’s activities in Europe and around the world.

Next
 
 
Please use a valid email address
Thank you for subscribing to the European Investment Bank’s monthly newsletter.

This form is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

             
© European Investment Bank 2025
 
 

Our website uses anonymised cookies to give you the best browser experience and to collect aggregated statistics. This does not include online advertising cookies.

Manage cookies  
 

Cookies on our Careers Section

Our website uses anonymised cookies to give you the best browser experience and to collect aggregated statistics. If you agree, this website section will also include third-party cookies used in online advertising.

Manage cookies  
 
Latest news on EIB's support for Ukraine