- In line with the EIB’s Climate Bank Roadmap and Transport Lending Policy, the operation aims to modernise the motorway network, adapting it to climate change related challenges without expanding its capacity.
- The EIB estimates that the implementation of the project will support more than 13,000 jobs.
- The agreement is backed by the InvestEU programme.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a €1.2 billion loan to Autostrade per l’Italia SpA (ASPI), one of Europe’s largest toll motorway construction and operation concession holders. The key objectives of the financing include modernising and upgrading the nearly 3 000km of Italian motorways managed by ASPI to improve safety and resilience against future extreme weather-related events. At least €800 million of the EIB funds are supported by InvestEU, the European Commission’s investment programme, for which the EIB Group is the largest implementing partner.
“This operation shows the EIB’s commitment to promoting safety and environmental sustainability on the Italian motorway network, an integral part of the TEN-T core corridor,” said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti. “The planned work will also contribute to developing the single market and fostering the economic, social, and territorial cohesion of the European Union.”
European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, said: “This major investment in Italy’s transport infrastructure will make driving on our motorways safer and improve their resilience to extreme climate events, which we know are set to become ever more common. I am especially pleased that through this significant injection of funding from InvestEU and the EIB, the EU is helping to support more than 13,000 jobs in Italy.”
ASPI CEO Roberto Tomasi added: “This EIB financing confirms Autostrade’s financial strength and recognises the importance of projects to modernise and upgrade infrastructure built in the 1960s and 1970s. These projects are vital for national growth and to account for ever safer, greener, and more innovative future mobility.”
Out of the €1.2 billion loan, €800 million has a maturity of 15 years, thus aligned with the expiry of ASPI’s concession, and will contribute to the network regeneration programme, making it more resilient, including in the event of future climate events. The EIB's commitment also includes a further €400 million to support ASPI's ongoing modernisation plan.
On the environmental front, the EIB resources will help promote clean mobility, support the use of alternative energies and the adoption of technological solutions to increase energy savings. In particular, the EIB financing will support the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles, of solar panels, and LED lighting systems across the network managed by ASPI.
The project is aligned with the Climate Bank Roadmap and the EIB's Transport Policy, representing a significant step forward in modernising the motorway network without expanding its capacity. and adapting it to climate change related challenges. The central TEN-T corridor will directly benefit from this initiative.
Moreover, the operation is expected to generate major economic benefits, contributing creating new jobs throughout the country. The EIB estimates that more than 13 000 people will be employed during the implementation of the project, further consolidating the Bank's commitment to supporting economic growth.
Background information
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It provides long-term financing for sound investments that contribute to EU policy. The Bank finances projects in four priority areas: infrastructure, innovation, climate and environment, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In the last five years, the EIB Group has provided more than €58 billion in financing for projects in Italy.
The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investments for EU policy priorities like the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU programme brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme has three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the projects of the implementing partners, increasing their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.
Autostrade per l’Italia group is one of the largest toll motorway concession holders in Europe and the world, managing a network of around 3 000 km of roads. ASPI operates as an integrated mobility provider across Italy, including via its subsidiaries: Amplia (construction), Movyon (tech solutions), Tecne (engineering), and Free To X and Elgea (network electrification and renewable energy generation). The group’s more than 9 000 employees are working to meet the goals of its industrial plan for ever safer and more sustainable mobility.
