The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending EUR 15 million to BRD Sogelease IFN S.A. to finance the projects of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the areas of industry, services, including tourism, agriculture, health, energy and environmental protection.

 This loan is designed to support projects promoted by SMEs in Romania. It is aimed at reducing the impact of the current economic crisis by improving access to medium and long-term funds on advantageous financial terms. To these ends the EIB is also simplifying its procedures and broadening the scope of its financing by also covering intangible types of investment. In addition, it is increasing transparency by working towards a more effective transfer of the advantage of EIB funds to the final beneficiaries.

 Through its credit lines, the EIB finances projects usually implemented by SMEs (with fewer than 250 employees) but also by mid-cap companies or municipalities. To increase the access of SMEs to long-term financing, the EIB closely cooperates with well-established financial institutions, like BRD Sogelease IFN S.A., that have local market expertise, particularly in providing services to small and medium-sized entrepreneurs through a well-developed network. This is the EIB's second operation with a Romanian leasing company which is an important channel of support to SMEs. It also represents a further extension of the EIB's relationship with BRD, with which the Bank has signed a number of operations, and with the overall Société Générale group, with which the Bank engages in extensive cooperation.  

Background

The task of the EIB, the European Union's financing institution, is to contribute to the integration, balanced development and economic and social cohesion of the Member States by financing sound investment.

Thanks to its Statute and shareholders, the 27 Member States, including Romania, the EIB has a AAA-rating and can therefore borrow funds on the capital markets on favourable terms, which it passes on via the loans that it grants to its clients and final beneficiaries. Since 1990, the EIB has signed loan contracts in Romania amounting to some EUR 6.1 billion, of which some EUR 400 million (including the current loan) supported SME and municipality projects.