The European Investment Bank (EIB) was created in 1958 by the Treaty of Rome as the long-term lending bank of the European Union, with the objective of contributing to the integration, development and cohesion of its Member States.
Besides supporting projects in the Member States, its lending activities also include financing investments in potential Member States and EU Partner Countries. The EIB raises substantial funds on the capital markets (with a consistent AAA rating), which it lends on favourable terms to projects furthering EU policy objectives. The EIB is wholly owned by the EU’s 28 member states and continuously adapts its activities in line with the development of EU policies. In 2014, the EIB granted loans totalling over €76bn – €7bn of which were outside the EU – and raised €62bn on the capital markets. The EIB is Europe’s largest institutional investor in infrastructure with a total loan assets in excess of €400bn and, alongside its subsidiary, the European Investment Fund (EIF), manages participations in more than 600 venture capital and private equity funds both inside and outside the EU totalling €11bn in financial commitments.