Joint press release: Commission and EIB Group increase financial support for the EU economy and speed up key transformative investments under InvestEU

In a significant move to bolster Europe’s economic future, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group today have signed an agreement, adding €22 billion in strategic financing under the InvestEU programme. The amendment also reflects the adoption of the “Omnibus II” regulation in December 2025, which reinforced the Union’s flagship investment initiative, which up to now hasalready mobilised €400 billion in public and private capital across key priority sectors.

Since its financing is always complementary with other financial resources, the EIB Group expects the total financial impact of the projects supported through this amendment to be around €70 billion until the end of the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), allowing to exceed the €55 billion minimum target of the Omnibus II package.

The newly allocated funds will accelerate transformative investments in critical areas, including:

  • Clean and biotechnology innovations, driving sustainable growth and green transition;
  • Digital advancement, fostering competitiveness and technological sovereignty;
  • High-potential start-ups and scale-ups, empowering the next generation of European entrepreneurs.

The expansion of the InvestEU programme is set to deliver tangible benefits for more than 130,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), providing them with enhanced access to financing. Moreover, in alignment with the Commission’s commitment to reducing administrative burden, all SMEs supported under InvestEU will benefit from streamlined processes thereby ensuring faster, easier access to funding, along with reduced reporting requirements.

These improvements will make InvestEU more efficient, accessible and responsive to evolving market needs and policy priorities. The amendment also lays the important groundwork for the future InvestEU instrument under the next Multiannual Financial Framework, as part of the forthcoming European Competitiveness Fund.

Backround 

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with long-term funding by leveraging public and private investment to support a sustainable economy. It promotes investment in areas such as technological transformation, strategic projects, innovation, resilience, competitiveness, and support for SMEs. By bringing EU financial instruments under one framework, InvestEU makes funding simpler, more efficient, and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub, and the InvestEU Portal. Through an EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion, the InvestEU Fund is expected to mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment and has already helped generate around €400 billion in public and private capital across key priority sectors.InvestEU goes beyond financing. The InvestEU Advisory Hub, with the EIB as its main advisory partner, supports project promoters throughout the project cycle, helping transform ideas into viable and impactful investments. As principal advisory partner, EIB Advisory delivers more than 80% of the Hub’s implementation, working closely with the European Commission to maximise the impact of the InvestEU programme.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations. Photos of the EIB Group’s representatives and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees, securitisation and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilises private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs.

The Omnibus II Regulation, adopted in December 2025, strengthens InvestEU, the EU’s flagship investment instrument, while making EU investment programmes simpler to use.

It increases the EU guarantee, unlocking at least €55 billion in additional public and private investment. It also allocates an extra €40 million to the InvestEU Advisory Hub, which supports project promoters in preparing and developing investment projects.

The reform expands EU investment capacity by reinvesting returns from past operations, makes it easier for Member States to channel resources into InvestEU, strengthens project development support through the Advisory Hub, and cuts administrative burdens. Simplified reporting alone is expected to save up to €350 million. Together, these measures will help mobilise investment in competitiveness, research, innovation, decarbonisation, sustainability, and skills, while supporting Europe’s green and digital transitions and strengthening long-term economic resilience.