EFSI

Today the EIB published the Spring edition of its regular bank lending survey for Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe. The survey provides insights into banking group activities, their subsidiaries as well as local banks, including their expectations on lending. It analyses demand and supply for financing – looking at SMEs, corporates, as well as household portfolios - banks’ funding conditions, assessments of market potential and positioning as well as the development of non-performing loans.

The accelerating rollout of 5G infrastructure has become a key battleground in a broader struggle for control over the industries of the future. At the same time, the race to build 5G networks and reap the significant benefits that they offer to all economic actors has gained urgency in light to the intensified digitalisation triggered by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Europe, however, is in danger of falling behind its global competitors.

The outbreak of COVID-19 in Europe had immediate and wide-ranging consequences for investment: according to the new edition of the EIB Investment Report 2020/2021 “Building a smart and green Europe in the COVID-19 era”, EU firms are likely to reduce investment by at least 25% in the year following the crisis. The report also shows that in a post-pandemic “new normal”, investment in digitalisation, innovation and climate will be more important than ever before. Without such investment, large sections of Europe’s economy risk falling behind. However, the European Union now has the opportunity to build on its leadership in green and digital technologies to recover from the pandemic, manage the climate transition and maintain its ability to compete in the global technology race.