EIB Group invests €12.6 billion to back growth, the green transition and innovation in France in 2024

February 17, 2025 by European Investment Bank Leave a Comment

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

The EIB provided €10 billion, while the EIF contributed €2.6 billion.
More than two-thirds of EIB investment went to climate-related projects and a third supported innovation.
Over 100 high-impact projects backed decarbonisation and clean mobility, social infrastructure for education and health, and financing for small businesses, micro-enterprises and startups.

The European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group) delivered a strong performance in France last year, with €12.6 billion in long-term investment provided directly or indirectly to private sector companies of all sizes and public sector organisations. France received more EIB Group funding than any other country in 2024, partially as a result of an 85% increase in EIF financing.

EIB activity in France in 2024 focused on loans helping to combat climate change and adapt to its consequences, back innovation and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and build and renovate public infrastructure. It has mobilised investments of up to €62 billion to finance the real economy.

“The EIB Group’s 2024 results for France underscore our key role in backing investment,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle.“The importance of financing to the energy transition makes it possible to attract more private sector investment in sectors that are vital to our future competitiveness. The EIF’s outstanding performance shows its role in driving forward innovative companies and expanding venture capital in Europe.Lastly, projects supporting local authorities in education infrastructure, public transport, healthcare and housing have a tangible impact on people’s daily lives.”

“With €2.6 billion in financing for SMEs and startups, France was the EIF’s biggest and most active European market in 2024,” added EIF Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt. “With its bank guarantees enabling financial intermediaries to take on greater risk and record financing for investment funds in a difficult environment for capital fundraising, the EIF is a key player in developing greener, more competitive and more digital businesses.”

France receives more EIB climate and environment financing than any other country

With 69% of its lending volume devoted to climate action and environmental sustainability, France was the largest beneficiary of EIB financing in this area in 2024. This resulted in an overall investment of €7 billion in renewable energy, clean mobility and energy efficiency.

Several loans backing green energy and electrification were granted in 2024. A total of €334 million in InvestEU funding went to Verkor’s electric vehicle battery giga-factory in Dunkirk, while €500 million was provided to help power company Enedis to adapt its network to new renewable energy sources. The EIB also supported the production of high-voltage cables at Prysmian’s factory in Gron (Yonne department).

Green bond development

Other EIB-backed climate action projects included investing in four green bond issues totalling €544 million with Île-de-France Mobilités, SNCF, Engie and EDF. This shows the leading role the EIB is playing in helping companies to finance their green transition, while also strengthening the green bond market. The EIB Group also signed its first €500 million counter-guarantee with Société Générale France to support the wind industry, as well as a €350 million loan with leasing subsidiary Ayvens for the rollout of 19 000 electric light commercial vehicles to cut road transport emissions.

In 2024, the Bank invested €3.9 billion in France under REPowerEU, an initiative to reduce Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate the green transition.

Increased support for all innovation

Innovation is another essential part of all activity in France. Investment in this area reached €3.3 billion last year, including research and development financing for semiconductor manufacturer NXP’s sites in France. In life sciences, the EIB backed Lyon-based biotech company Fabentech (which specialises in bioterrorism and pandemic threats) and Bordeaux-based Treefrog Therapeutics (which is developing a portfolio of regenerative medicine cell therapies).

Better access to finance for SMEs via bank-intermediated lending

Intermediated lending to micro-enterprises, SMEs and mid-caps via partner commercial bank networks was particularly strong last year. There were 14 operations worth a total of €3.1 billion for various credit envelopes: investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency and innovation, and startup support for healthcare professionals with a particular focus on women and combating medical deserts. The provision of these EU funds to banks enables them to offer loans with better conditions to final recipients across the country, thereby expanding and facilitating the granting of loans by these intermediaries.

Supporting the public sector transition

The EIB directed 72% of its investment in France to cohesion policy regions last year. A partner of regional authorities, it provided €4.24 billion in financing to the public sector (44% of lending), including €1.7 billion for transport, which received more EIB support than any other in France. It contributed €400 million to finance the purchase of rail rolling stock by the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions and upgrades to the Nancy-Contrexéville line in the Grand Est region, which is set to reopen in late 2027. The EIB also helped authorities in Marseille to extend their tram network, and provided green loans to those in Lille and Rouen to support public transport and cycle lanes.

The EIB also signed two major healthcare-related loans worth almost €400 million in 2024. AP-HP Lariboisière hospital in northern Paris will be modernised and restructured around a new building bringing together all its services and merging with Fernand-Widal hospital. With its €150 million EIB loan, this new Lariboisière hospital is the first step of Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris’ strategy to rebalance the provision of university hospital care throughout Greater Paris, to the benefit of Parisians and residents of the north of the capital. The EIB is also providing €240 million to finance the construction of the new CHU de Tours, which will be reorganised with the creation of a new hospital on the Trousseau site and a new psychiatric hospital.

More investment in the education sector

The education sector saw massive lending growth in 2024. €1.4 billion of EIB investment helped finance the construction and renovation of infrastructure for all pre-school and school levels: early childhood, nurseries, primary schools and upper and lower secondary schools. Three of the 11 projects to receive funding were with municipalities for crèches and primary schools (Lille, Montpellier and Toulouse), five were with departments for lower secondary schools (Calvados, Pas-de-Calais, Rhône, Seine-Maritime and Seine-Saint-Denis) and three were with regional authorities for upper secondary schools (Brittany, Grand Est and Occitanie). The EIB investments focus on the energy efficiency of these institutions, their resilience and adaptation to climate change (revegetation of school playgrounds) and digital equipment.

Adapting water infrastructure to the new climate reality

The EIB financed various local authority-led public water infrastructure projects, providing almost €500 million in total to back Eau du Ponant’s water supply and treatment investment plan in Finistère, renovate the main Nice Côte d’Azur wastewater treatment plant and modernise Syndicat des eaux d’Île-de-France’s drinking water production and distribution facility. In Nîmes, the EIB will finance water supply, sewerage and stormwater drainage infrastructure to protect the environment and cope better with the worsening impact of climate events (the city has seen various floods over the last few decades). This is a high priority area for the EIB. Its investments are helping to make cities more sustainable and better adapted to the new climate reality.

€2.6 billion in SME and startup financing from the EIF

EIB Group subsidiary the European Investment Fund (EIF) experienced a record year in France in 2024. The country received €2.6 billion in EIF investment – 18% of the Fund’s total for the year. 23 bank guarantee operations via financial intermediaries worth €722 million are expected to mobilise €5.1 billion of funding for SMEs, facilitating investment in innovation, access to finance for farmers by way of a partnership with several regional authorities, micro-enterprises and social enterprises in micro-finance.

Fund financing operations at record level

39 venture capital, growth capital and infrastructure investment operations totalled a record €1.96 billion and backed the financing of innovation and startups in a difficult fundraising environment. The EIF invested in scale-up funds to rapidly grow European tech champions and in five infrastructure funds, providing a total of €485 million. It also provided €30 million to Sistafund – its largest investment to date in a gender equality-focused fund – and €25 million to Logical Content Ventures, which invests in European audiovisual content creation.

These fundraising investments are expected to mobilise a total of up to €36 billion for key sectors for the energy transition and European competitiveness such as clean technologies, artificial intelligence, space and cybersecurity.

In total and including all activities, the EIB Group directly or indirectly supported more than 58 000 SMEs and mid-caps in France in 2024, helping to safeguard 819 000 jobs.

Annual EIB Investment Survey

The EIB Group Investment Survey (EIBIS) is an annual report based on polling of approximately 13 000 firms across all 27 EU Member States, with an additional sample from the United States.

The most recent survey – conducted in 2024 – shows French companies’ strong awareness of the reality of climate change: 96% have already taken measures to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 91% on average for EU companies. French companies still invest more often in combating the consequences of weather events, exceeding the EU average in this area (68% have already invested vs. 61% on average across the European Union).

Investing in waste reduction and recycling (82% of companies in France vs. 76% of EU companies), energy efficiency (63% in France vs. 65% across the European Union) and sustainable transport (59% vs. an EU average of 52%) are the actions most often proposed as ways to achieve this.

The share of companies that have implemented climate change adaptation measures is more limited both in France and across the European Union, with fewer than 50% of companies having done this. Only 12% of French companies are insured against climate risk – less than the EU average of 21% – despite 63% of them saying that they had already been affected by a climate change risk. Although French companies have a similar pace of innovation to their EU neighbours, they are behind the EU average for adopting digital technologies (60% vs. 74%).

Background information

About the EIB

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives.

About the EIF

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is part of the EIB Group. Its goal is to help European SMEs access financing. The EIF designs and deploys venture capital, growth capital, guarantee and microfinance instruments specifically targeted at this market segment. Its activities pursue EU objectives promoting innovation, research and development, enterprise creation, growth, and job creation.

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

© UNICEF/Oleksii Filippov A firefighter works on the balcony of a wrecked building in Kyiv, Ukraine.

World News in Brief: Russian attacks continue in Ukraine, Gazans shelter in flood-prone areas, keeping sight of eye health

October 9, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Thursday he was appalled by a wave of attacks that have killed civilians across Ukraine over the past four days. They include a strike on two public buses in Kramatorsk on Thursday, that left at least 30 civilians dead, […]

Ukraine: UN condemns latest attacks and calls for civilian protection

October 8, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine on Wednesday called for an end to attacks against civilians following further overnight strikes by Russian forces that reportedly killed at least 19 in the Chernihiv Region. Among the dead in Pryluky were five children, three of them babies, according to the […]

© UNICEF-SoP/Crickx People walk down a dusty road in the West Bank carrying belongings.

Israeli demolition in East Jerusalem displaces 69 Palestinians

October 7, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Sixty-nine Palestinians – more than half of them children – were displaced on Tuesday after Israeli authorities green lit the demolition of their residential building in the At Tur area of East Jerusalem, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) has reported. This is the highest number of […]

‘The clock on AI regulation is ticking’, warns UN rights chief

October 6, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The world is running out of time to put guardrails on artificial intelligence, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned Monday, as a “ruthless race” between companies and countries raises concerns about human safety and even humanity’s survival. Speaking in the UK at an AI […]

© UNOCHA/Alina Basiuk A school in Ukraine lies in ruins after being hit by a missile.

Ukraine war ‘a human rights catastrophe’ that must end, says Türk

October 5, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Human Rights The war in Ukraine is a human rights catastrophe that is “growing and intensifying by the week” and threatening an even greater disaster across the region, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday. Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. […]

UN News Massive tent settlement of displaced residents extends along the damaged Gaza coastline.

Palestinians yearn for ‘a return to normal life’, says top Middle East peace envoy

October 2, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN is continuing efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza amid major challenges to humanitarian access, reconstruction and the restoration of essential services, according to Ramiz Alakbarov, Acting UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. Speaking to UN News on the margins of the UN […]

©UNIFIL/Tilak Pokharel UNIFIL personnel distribute food kits to displaced families in Saida, Lebanon (file).

Lebanon: One in five children goes to bed hungry, says UNICEF

October 1, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Four in five households in Lebanon struggle to afford basic necessities today, with children increasingly going without food, missing school and being pushed into work as conflict compounds years of economic crisis. “I wanted to buy clothes for my children, but I could not. I also wanted […]

World News in Brief: Deadly Myanmar strikes as Malaysia begins deportations, new emergency funding released, Gaza and West Bank update

September 30, 2026

The UN chief on Tuesday strongly condemned an airstrike that reportedly killed at least 50 people at a market in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and called for those responsible to be held to account. Forces from the military junta reportedly hit Kyauktaw township around midday on Monday, when the market’s more than 200 shops were busy […]

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

EU provides €61 million in humanitarian aid amidst rapidly deteriorating situation in Ethiopia

September 29, 2026

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission. Amid fears of renewed conflict in Northern Ethiopia, the European Union is providing €61 million in humanitarian funding to help the most vulnerable people in Ethiopia affected by conflict, displacement, disease outbreaks and climate-related hazards, including the impact of El Niño. The European Union […]

© UNDP A worker installs solar panels in Lanao del Sur in the Philippines.

From energy crisis to energy transition: How renewables are reshaping energy security

September 29, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The continuing conflict in the Middle East is disrupting global energy markets and pushing up fuel prices, with knock-on effects far beyond the region. For Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the crisis is also reshaping how the world understands the phrase […]

Countries adopted on Saturday a new global blueprint for tackling rapidly evolving forms of crime, as the UN’s largest gathering on crime prevention and criminal justice opened in Abu Dhabi with a call for stronger international cooperation. The Abu Dhabi Declaration was adopted by acclamation at the opening of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, bringing governments together around challenges ranging from cybercrime and fraud to the growing criminal exploitation of digital technology. The Declaration highlights an increasingly complex landscape in which services, infrastructure and technology can be exploited by criminals, including emerging trends described as “crime as a service” and “violence as a service”. At the same time, countries committed to making greater use of technology themselves, including by digitalizing justice systems and harnessing artificial intelligence in criminal justice responses. The Declaration stresses that safeguards must accompany those changes, including human oversight, transparency, due process and data protection. ‘Justice cannot be a privilege’ In a video message to the Congress, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said the meeting was taking place at a time of profound change. “Justice cannot be a privilege. It must protect every person, uphold every person’s rights and leave no one behind,” said Ms. Mohamed. “This Congress is an opportunity to renew our shared commitment to justice and the rule of law, and to translate that commitment into action.” Countries are already being encouraged to put the Declaration into practice through the voluntary Pledge4Justice initiative, under which participating governments are announcing concrete, time-bound actions on crime prevention and criminal justice through 2031. The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre with its curved glass tower and surrounding buildings reflected in calm water at dusk. UNODC The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre where the 15th UN Crime Congress is set to take place. From Kyoto to Abu Dhabi Opening the Congress, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Monica Juma framed the gathering as both a response to a changing criminal landscape and a test of international cooperation. “Today, the world convenes in Abu Dhabi to reaffirm that the rule of law and criminal justice are essential to the safety and security of people and the planet,” said Ms. Juma. “At a time when confidence in multilateralism is faltering, let Abu Dhabi be a testament to international cooperation.” Five years after the previous Congress in Kyoto, Japan, Ms. Juma said the world had reached another “inflection point”, with technology and artificial intelligence advancing at extraordinary speed. The same platforms connecting billions of people can also connect criminals, she warned, while digital currencies can conceal illicit profits and digital tools can be used to deceive, manipulate and exploit. Technology, she argued, is not simply accelerating crime but changing its character, while organized criminal networks increasingly exploit weaknesses across borders and institutions. Tweet URL Protecting people as the ‘north star’ Behind those broad trends, Ms. Juma urged delegates to focus on the people most exposed to harm, including children recruited by gangs, women facing violence at home or online, people unable to obtain legal assistance and young people lured into scam networks with promises of a better future. “Protecting these people must be the measure against which we judge our efforts over the coming week,” she said. “It must be our north star.” She called for laws and institutions capable of keeping pace with changing threats, greater access to justice and legal aid, and technology that serves as “a force for good” rather than an accelerator of harm. And while welcoming the Abu Dhabi Declaration as a starting point, Ms. Juma stressed that its impact would ultimately depend on implementation. A week focused on justice Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, the Congress runs through 1 October under the theme Protecting People and Planet in the Digital Age. Some 119 countries are represented, alongside more than 40 justice ministers and other senior officials, with over 5,100 participants from governments, civil society, academia and the private sector. Plenary meetings, workshops, side events and exhibitions will run throughout the session. Organizers are also billing this as the most youth-inclusive Crime Congress yet. Young people are participating in workshops, contributing to follow-up efforts and taking part in a dedicated Youth Lab and art exhibition, following a Youth Forum held ahead of the Congress on 24 and 25 September. UNODC serves as secretariat of the Congress and will support implementation of the Abu Dhabi Declaration.

Countries adopt global blueprint to tackle fast-evolving crime in digital age

September 28, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Countries adopted on Saturday a new global blueprint for tackling rapidly evolving forms of crime, as the UN’s largest gathering on crime prevention and criminal justice opened in Abu Dhabi with a call for stronger international cooperation. The Abu Dhabi Declaration was adopted by acclamation at the […]

United Nations President Mahmoud Abbas of the State of Palestine addresses the General Debate of the UN General Assembly’s 81st session.

Palestinian existence under threat, Abbas tells UN, warning of ‘another Nakba’

September 25, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Israeli policies now threaten “the very life and existence of the Palestinian people on their homeland”, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told the UN General Assembly on Thursday, urging the world not to allow “another Nakba”. Mr. Abbas addressed the Assembly’s annual debate via pre-recorded video after his […]

© UNICEF/Oleksii Filippov A rescue worker stands outside a residential building in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district that was severely damaged during a massive overnight attack on the city.

World News in Brief: ‘New intensity’ to Russian attacks on Ukraine, Yemen, Gaza and Colombia updates

September 25, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Russian armed forces have carried out repeated attacks across Ukraine over the past several days, killing and injuring civilians and damaging homes, hospitals, shops and workplaces, UN human rights monitors said on Thursday. The attacks have involved ballistic and cruise missiles, drones and guided aerial bombs. Between […]

UN Photo/Loey Felipe President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine addresses the General Debate of the UN General Assembly’s 81st session.

Zelenskyy urges stronger pressure on Russia, warns war’s impact is spreading beyond Ukraine

September 24, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday called for intensified pressure on Russia to end its war against Ukraine, arguing that Moscow continues to incur massive losses while prolonging a conflict whose consequences are increasingly being felt far beyond the battlefield. Addressing the UN General Assembly’s annual debate, […]

UN Photo/Loey Felipe President Donald Trump of the United States addresses the General Debate of the UN General Assembly’s 81st session.

Trump defends military action against Iran, Venezuela, and calls for rebrand of AI

September 23, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. US President Donald Trump used his address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday to defend recent military action against Iran, urging countries to maintain economic pressure on Tehran – and declaring that he now faces a choice between making a deal, or taking far more drastic […]

© UNICEF/Oleksii Filippov An injured girl climbs the partially collapsed stairwell of a building in Boryspil, Ukraine, following a missile strike.

‘Nowhere is safe’: UN experts detail Ukraine war’s toll and Russia’s reach beyond its borders

September 22, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts on Monday laid out a grim picture of the human cost of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with a spotlight on civilians facing a third wartime winter as well as the intimidation of Russians who have fled abroad. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry […]

© UNICEF/Robic Upadhayay Aid workers transport supplies past a flood-damaged house in Nepal.

Nepal floods: ‘Apocalyptic’ destruction signals wider climate threat across Himalayas

September 21, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. The catastrophic flooding that swept away entire villages in northern Nepal could occur again in the country or elsewhere in the Himalayas due to climate change. The warning comes from Sara Netzer, regional director with UN field operations office UNOPS, which provides infrastructure, procurement and project management […]

World News in Brief: Winter aid for Gaza, West Bank; Haiti food production; migrant deaths at sea; human rights funding

September 18, 2026

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is seeking to raise $97.5 million to protect 540,000 children and their families in Gaza and the West Bank from harsh winter conditions in the coming months. Nearly 84 per cent of Gaza’s population – more than 1.76 million people – live in overcrowded displacement sites or damaged shelters, leaving […]

© UNRWA Search-and-rescue operations continue following the collapse of a war-damaged building in Gaza city.

Gaza: At least 20 killed in deadly building collapse, search for survivors continues

September 17, 2026

This article is published in association with United Nations. Search and rescue operations continued in Gaza City on Wednesday following the collapse of a bombed-out building that killed at least 20 people, according to reports. The incident has highlighted the precarious situation of displaced Palestinians across the Gaza Strip who shelter wherever they can, including in […]