EIB provides €107.5 million to back security and defence in Italy

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• The EIB financing will contribute to the purchase of helicopters for the Italian army.
• This is the third agreement between the EIB, the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Italian Ministry of Defence.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a new strategic agreement with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Defence, with the goal of further strengthening Italy’s security and defence capabilities.

The operation is part of the EIB’s broader commitment to European security and defence. It recently expanded its eligibility criteria to backing military projects, in line with EU priorities.

The loan will be disbursed to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which will then channel the EIB resources to the Ministry of Defence. The favourable conditions offered by the EIB on international markets mean that the loan will enable the Italian government to make substantial interest savings over the 20-year term.

This is the third agreement of its kind between the EIB, the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Defence In 2022, the EIB provided €240 million to finance the purchase of 16 light helicopters for the Italian Carabinieri and upgrades to the national air traffic control system, while in 2020, it provided €220 million to build three hydro-oceanographic vessels.

“This agreement shows the EIB’s growing commitment to supporting European security and defence, and is the result of ongoing fruitful dialogue with the Italian government to promote strategic investments strengthening the competitiveness and security of Italy,” said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti. “We will continue to work side by side with our partners to safeguard the strategic autonomy of the European Union.”

Background information

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight key 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 over 900 projects worth nearly €89 billion in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security. The EIB Group signed 99 operations totalling €10.98 billion in Italy in 2024, helping to unlock almost €37 billion of investment in the real economy. All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment. Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the funds made available by the Group unlocked over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised a further €110 billion for startups and scale-ups. Around half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.