Nadia Calviño, president of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group, delivered a speech at the European Parliament’s Special Housing Committee event in Milan on 15 September 2025.
Dear friends,
It’s a real pleasure to join you and contribute to this important discussion on housing, which shows that there is real momentum in Europe to ensure that everyone can access affordable, sustainable homes.
During my tour of the 27 Member states in 2024, just after being appointed president of the European Investment Bank, I could see on the ground that this is a top priority almost everywhere, with a strong focus on young families.
Although housing is primarily the responsibility of local and regional authorities, European institutions have a role to play in addressing citizen’s needs, supporting these competent authorities and using our power to contribute to effective solutions for citizens.
That is why housing is also one of our top priorities at the EIB Group. With our AAA rating, pan-European reach and strong capital base, we are uniquely positioned to offer attractive financing and advisory solutions, working in close partnership with the European Commission, national governments, cities, regions, national promotional banks and the private sector.
The EIB is pan-European by design and so our aim is not only to finance specific projects, for instance, to accommodate students, nurses, teachers, police officers – in countries such as Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Lithuania, Ireland, Portugal, Romania and Spain, but also to help develop scalable solutions, supporting innovation that brings down prices and speeds up building, and reinforcing European value chains across the construction industry.
In this context, we are significantly expanding our support for the housing sector in size, scale and scope. This year, we aim to increase our financing by 40% compared to the previous five-year average and help deliver around one million more affordable and sustainable homes by 2030.
That’s what our actions are all about: real impact.
Together with the European Commission and national promotional banks, we are developing a Pan-European Housing Platform to foster investment in three areas: innovation, renovation, and new build, with a special focus on younger families.
Innovation, because we must develop a strong building industry, using better materials, smarter methods and faster processes. Modernising construction delivers quality, speed, energy efficiency and affordability, also increasing the health and security environment for men and women working in this sector.
Renovation, as Europe’s housing stock is large and ageing. Investing in energy efficiency reduces emissions, lowers bills, and improves comfort and quality of life.
And building new homes, across all Member States, providing direct financing to public authorities and also to the private sector through banks and other financial intermediaries.
It is clear that the solution to this challenge requires investment, but also regulatory changes that speed up the innovation and building process and tackle the impact of short-term rentals on the housing supply for resident families.
That is why it is so important that all relevant stakeholders play their role and work together in a coordinated manner.
We have hosted a number of events at the European Investment Bank to bring together national partners, for example the Spanish Ministry for Housing and Urban Agenda and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, that will also be speaking here today. And next month in Barcelona, we will host a workshop on innovation in construction, to connect researchers, builders, housing providers and local leaders. We are also starting a roadshow across all Member States, to present new financing and advisory opportunities.
This brings me to my final message: If we want each and every citizen to develop their full potential in Europe, our common home, we must ensure that they have access to sustainable, and affordable homes.
You can count on the European Investment Bank as your partner in this endeavour.
Thank you