The European Investment Bank, the bank of the European Union, the European Commission’s Representation in Croatia, and the Croatian Chamber of Economy presented today to partners in Croatia the opportunities for new green and sustainable investments, innovations, and the creation of new jobs opened by the Invest EU Program.
Invest EU aims to enable more than 372 billion euros in public and private investments in the European economy during the period from 2021 to 2027, as stated in the announcement. These investments will be made possible based on the European Union’s budgetary guarantee of 26.2 billion euros, which will be used to support investments by Invest EU implementing partners, such as the European Investment Bank (EIB).
– InvestEU will provide a significant boost to investments in many critical areas of the economy across the EU. The program is designed as a key element of the largest package of measures proposed by the EU to stimulate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to help build a greener, more digital, and more resilient European economy. Invest EU will also help Europe tackle the new challenges we have recently faced, including those arising from the war in Ukraine. The EIB will be a vital part of the implementation of this program through which we will increase investments in clean energy, education, digitalization, and urban infrastructure. I would like to thank our partners in the European Commission and the Croatian Chamber of Economy for this valuable opportunity to present these exciting possibilities to our partners in Croatia, and to invite the public and private sectors in the country to discover together with the EIB how they can make the most of this program – said Teresa Czerwinska, Vice President of the European Investment Bank.
– The recovery of the EU economy will not be an easy process. Especially considering the recent geopolitical challenges. This is not a new lesson. The pandemic has already shown us how much we rely on each other to tackle the crisis both on a daily basis and in the long term. To help our companies, a joint European approach is crucial. By this, I mean programs like this one. However, each of us must also do our part locally. Alongside coordinated EU-level activities to assist companies, we at the Chamber continuously propose new measures to help our companies recover and continue to develop. Additionally, a greener and digitally transformed economy are strategic priorities for the Chamber’s actions. I strongly believe that this is the key to recovery. Joint and coordinated activities at every level. I am particularly pleased to see that this program places special emphasis on supporting innovation. If the circumstances are exceptional, our activities must be as well – we must be able to think outside the box – said Luka Burilović, President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy.
The InvestEU program continues the successful model for mobilizing investments brought by the Investment Plan for Europe, known as the Juncker Plan, and brings together both the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and 13 other EU financial instruments under one roof.
Vice President of the EIB Teresa Czerwinska, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Finance, Zdravko Marić, and Giorgio Chiarion Casoni, Director of InvestEU and Financial Institutions, spoke at the opening of the program presentation in Croatia.
