EIB Financing in Croatia

The European Investment Bank’s lending operations in Croatia support projects that help the country to meet EU accession criteria and to integrate rapidly into the Union. Since 2001, EIB lending in Croatia has reached EUR 1.3 billion. At the beginning of the decade the EIB focused on the construction and rehabilitation of the country’s infrastructure, especially transport infrastructure, which has absorbed almost 64 % of total EIB lending in Croatia. In addition, the Bank finances investments by small and medium-sized companies through local financial institutions, and lends support to projects in the areas of industry and services. In the near future the Bank envisages extending its operations to the environmental, health and education sectors. This implies a growing number of loans to the private sector and municipalities to support investment.