- France was the top country of operation, with €10.6 billion from the EIB and €2.4 billion from the EIF.
- 61% of financing for climate action (68% for the EIB alone), 30% for innovation and a record €4.5 billion for the energy sector.
- A new commitment to the defence sector, with €670 million in financing.
- Greater investment in industry, agriculture and new technologies to bolster Europe’s strategic autonomy and competitiveness.
- Nationwide financing for sustainable mobility, education, housing and healthcare to improve people’s day-to-day lives.
The EIB Group delivered a very strong performance in France last year, providing €13 billion in long-term financing to private sector companies of all sizes and to public sector bodies, either directly or via intermediaries. Of this, €10.6 billion came from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and €2.4 billion from the European Investment Fund (EIF), its subsidiary specialising in support for small and medium-sized enterprises and innovation. As in 2024, France was the number one beneficiary of EIB Group financing in 2025.
Globally, the EIB Group achieved a record annual financing volume of €100 billion in 2025 (see press release).
“In today’s uncertain geopolitical climate, the EIB Group has focused on strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy and on supporting projects that make a real difference to people’s everyday lives. With financing rising to €13 billion, France is the EIB Group’s top country of operation,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “Three figures stand out: a substantial 61% of financing for climate action, 30% for innovation and €670 million for security and defence.”
“The EIF has become a key force behind innovation in France,” said EIF Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt. “We are investing in the technologies that will define the future – from climate solutions to healthcare and defence. In 2025, the financing reaching young French companies through the funds we invested in ensured that France – as in 2024 – remained the EIF’s top country of operation.”
Climate and energy
The EIB Group is the European Union’s climate bank. France was once again the number one beneficiary of climate financing in 2025, with a record €8 billion – 61% of all EIB Group financing in France (and nearly 68% for the EIB alone) – going to projects that help the climate and protect the environment. The energy transition and energy security were key priorities, receiving €4.5 billion in financing.
Key operations included a €500 million loan for Enedis to modernise the electricity grid, agreements with Crédit Agricole (€500 million) and BPCE (€250 million) to support wind turbine manufacturers, and a €100 million loan for Bpifrance to back private sector renewable energy projects. The EIB also granted a €400 million loan to Orano to expand its uranium enrichment capacity for nuclear power plants by 30%.
A flagship cross‑border project of strategic importance for Europe, the electricity interconnector between France and Spain in the Bay of Biscay received major financing of €1.6 billion, split equally between France’s RTE and Spain’s Red Eléctrica. It will make the electricity supply between France, Spain and Portugal more reliable, with benefits across Europe.
Achieving decarbonisation also means investing more in sustainable mobility and in making public buildings, primary schools and secondary schools more energy efficient. Agriculture plays a role too. For example, a €70 million loan for Sodiaal – France’s largest dairy cooperative and the third‑largest in Europe – will help to cut carbon emissions while safeguarding food security.
Security and defence
In 2025, the EIB Group quadrupled its financing for security and defence, reaching more than €4 billion across Europe – nearly 5% of its total activity. In France, it provided a record €670 million through several first-of-a-kind operations, including a €400 million loan for Thales to support research and development in aeronautics and radar technologies, marking the EIB’s first ever financing deal with this global leader in defence technology.
BPCE received €150 million in financing to support the defence technological and industrial base (DTIB) – the first agreement of this kind with a French bank. The EIB also provided €37 million to Cailabs, which specialises in satellite‑to‑ground laser communications, and €25 million to Gatewatcher, a cybersecurity specialist.
The EIF, meanwhile, invested €30 million in the Sienna IM Héphaïstos fund, designed specifically to support small and medium businesses in the defence sector.
Competitiveness, innovation and R&D
Financing to support innovation, digitalisation and human capital reached €4 billion in France in 2025 – 30% of total investment in the country. The EIB Group has brought its innovation and advanced technology financing together under the TechEU programme, a €70 billion initiative designed to mobilise up to €250 billion by 2027.
In France, notable operations included € 250 million in financing for Nexans for cable production and copper recycling (with financing for Prysmian in the same sector also set to strengthen production across France) and €40 million for Technip Energies to support research and development in decarbonisation technologies. Loans for Arcelor, Renault and the Franco-Italian semiconductor manufacturer STM Microelectronics (€500 million split across the two countries’ facilities) are supporting the R&D needed for future industry.
These operations will reinforce Europe’s value chains to safeguard strategic autonomy in key sectors. The EIB also invested heavily in people through education and healthcare.
Several young and innovative companies received major backing too, such as MAAT Pharma and EDAP in the medical field, and Eranova in bioagriculture, which produces recyclable plastics made from marine algae.
Under the European Tech Champions Initiative (ETCI), backed by six EU countries including France, the EIF has also become a cornerstone investor in the deep tech fund Jolt Capital V, contributing €260 million.
Local authorities and social infrastructure
Around €4 billion was channelled to local authorities and other public bodies to support human capital development – through education and healthcare – and projects that make a real difference to people’s day-to-day lives.
Here are some of the highlights:
Education (€1.07 billion): The EIB is helping to build and renovate schools across all levels of the education system – from primary schools in Marseille, to lower secondary schools in the Somme, Puy‑de‑Dôme and Seine‑et‑Marne departments, and upper secondary schools in the Sud region. Nearly one in five children in these areas will benefit from the EIB’s support.
Health (€550 million): Four hospital projects received substantial backing, including for the Lens hospital, improvements at the Bordeaux and Montpellier university hospitals, and the construction of the new Saint‑Ouen Paris Nord hospital (AP‑HP). The EIB’s support will mean better healthcare for over 4.7 million people.
Housing (€656 million): Five operations with public sector partners are supporting affordable housing and energy efficiency retrofits, including three projects with the CDC Group, INLI and Bordeaux Métropole Énergies. More than 15 000 social and affordable housing homes will be built or renovated thanks to EIB support in 2025. France has received more EIB financing for housing than any other EU country over the past five years – €3.4 billion in total.
Energy efficiency: A €90 million loan will help Bordeaux Métropole Énergie roll out renewable energy in urban and rural areas and renovate buildings.
Transport and sustainable mobility (€1.2 billion): Rail upgrades in Brittany and Pays de la Loire, new metro trains in Paris and buses in Clermont‑Ferrand will help improve transport services for over 97 million passengers each year. The EIB also took part in multiple green bond issues – notably those of Île‑de‑France Mobilités and SNCF.
Financing for local authorities and public bodies is vital for local development, social and economic cohesion, and equal access to essential services. In 2025, 55% of all EIB Group financing in France went to projects in EU cohesion regions.
SME and mid-cap financing
Through their combined efforts, the EIB and the EIF allocated nearly €4 billion to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid‑caps across all sectors. Altogether, the EIB Group helped finance almost 60 000 French small and medium-sized enterprises and mid‑caps and supported 849 000 jobs.
EIB’s role
The EIB channelled over €1.7 billion to small and medium-sized enterprises and mid‑caps through loans passed on by commercial banks and other financial institutions. These operations are a cornerstone of the EIB Group’s support for the real economy, giving companies access to long‑term financing on favourable terms while enhancing the lending capacity of partner banks.
In France, the EIB and the EIF work with a strong network of banking partners, including BPCE, BFCM, Arkéa, La Banque Postale, CEPAC, BRED and Crédit Agricole, who play a vital role in getting financing to businesses across the country. The projects supported cover key sectors of the French economy, including energy‑efficient housing, the climate transition, agriculture and the bioeconomy, water infrastructure, healthcare, the overseas territories, and the defence and security value chain.
EIF’s role
Alongside the EIB, the EIF put €2.2 billion into French businesses and around €200 million into infrastructure projects in 2025, through 120 agreements. Altogether, that amounted to €2.4 billion, reinforcing the EIF’s role as a catalyst for growth. Its portfolio was split across three products:
- Venture capital and growth capital (€1.2 billion)
- Guarantees (€0.7 billion)
- Securitisation (€0.5 billion)
Significant efforts were also made under the French National Agricultural Initiative (INAF), which will channel €2 billion in loans over the coming years through financial intermediaries (Arkéa, BPCE, Crédit Agricole and Crédit Mutuel) to make it easier for farmers to access bank financing.
Advisory services
In 2025, around 30 organisations received technical and financial advisory support from the EIB. They included public authorities, innovative businesses and financial intermediaries managing a diverse range of projects consistent with EU priorities. One of the standout intitiatives was the partnership with Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations under the EduRenov programme, designed to help hundreds of local authorities plan and structure energy efficiency retrofit projects in schools. The EIB is also helping to set up a security and defence cluster in the Sud region, building links between major industrial firms, small and medium-sized enterprises and public bodies.
Background
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives, by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €100 billion in new financing in 2025, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security. All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of annual EIB Group financing supports projects that directly contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and a healthier environment.
High-quality, up-to-date photos of EIB headquarters for media use are available here.