On the financial activities of the European Investment Bank Group – annual report 2025

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the financial activities of the European Investment Bank Group – annual report 2025

(2025/2213(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty on European Union,

– having regard to Articles 15, 126, 174, 175, 177, 208, 209, 271, 308 and 309 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and to Protocol No 5 to the Treaties on the Statute of the European Investment Bank (EIB),

– having regard to Articles 41-43 of the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community,

– having regard to the Statute of the EIB,

– having regard to the EIB Group Operational Plan 2026-2028, published on 29 January 2026, and to the EIB Group Operational Plan 2025-2027 of 30 January 2025,

– having regard to the EIB Group 2025 Activity Report entitled ‘Powering Europe’, published on 29 January 2026,

– having regard to the EIB’s Environmental, climate and social due diligence procedures, published on 20 October 2025,

– having regard to the EIB Global Strategic Orientation, published on 15 October 2025,

– having regard to the EIB Investment Survey 2025 entitled ‘European Union – Overview’, published on 14 October 2025,

– having regard to the EIB publication entitled ‘Unlocking innovation: Addressing the funding needs of EU technology infrastructures’, published on 15 September 2025,

– having regard to the EIB Evaluation Activity Report 2022 and Work Programme 2023-2025, published on 3 March 2023,

– having regard to the EIB Group’s Complaints Mechanism Policy, published on 13 November 2018,

– having regard to the EIB publication entitled ‘EIB energy lending policy’, published on 8 May 2023,

– having regard to the EIB Group Climate Bank Roadmap 2021-2025, adopted by the EIB Board of Directors on 11 November 2020, and to the EIB climate strategy, published on 15 November 2020,

– having regard to the EIB publication entitled ‘EIB Global – Partnerships, People, Impact’, published on 10 February 2023,

– having regard to the EIB Group Strategy on Gender Equality and Women’s Economic Empowerment, published on 6 January 2017, and to the EIB Group’s Gender Action Plan III (2026-2030), published on 3 March 2026,

– having regard to the code of conduct for EIB Group staff, published on 3 February 2023,

– having regard to the EIB’s Solidarity Package for Ukraine, approved by the EIB Board on 4 March 2022,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 29 January 2025 entitled ‘A Competitiveness Compass for the EU’ (COM(2025)0030),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 26 February 2025 entitled ‘The Clean Industrial Deal: A joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation’ (COM(2025)0085),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 26 February 2025 entitled ‘Action Plan for Affordable Energy: Unlocking the true value of our Energy Union to secure affordable, efficient and clean energy for all Europeans’ (COM(2025)0079),

– having regard to the report by Mario Draghi of 9 September 2024 entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’,

– having regard to the Commission proposal of 16 July 2025 for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the European Competitiveness Fund (‘ECF’) including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities, repealing Regulations (EU) 2021/522, (EU) 2021/694, (EU) 2021/697, (EU) 2021/783, repealing provisions of Regulations (EU) 2021/696, (EU) 2023/588, and amending Regulation (EU) [EDIP] (COM(2025)0555),

– having regard to the Tripartite Agreement between the Commission, the European Court of Auditors and the European Investment Bank, which came into force in November 2021,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0000/2026),

A. whereas the EIB states that its total investment reached a record level of EUR 100 billion in 2025, compared to EUR 89 billion in 2024;

B. whereas the EIB contributes to addressing market failures and investment gaps by catalysing private capital while operating as a market-based financial institution grounded in sound banking principles;

General

1. Welcomes the EIB’s strategic roadmap for 2024 to 2027 aimed at mobilising investment to strengthen Europe’s economic and industrial base, to support innovation, competitiveness, security and defence, sustainable growth, regional development, modern infrastructure and a resilient agricultural sector, while fostering international partnerships and the Savings and Investments Union;

2. Underlines that the EIB is a credible actor on international financial markets thanks to its ‘triple A’ credit rating; stresses that preserving this rating is essential to enable it to raise funds on favourable terms and that any deterioration would significantly increase funding costs;

3. Emphasises the pivotal role of the EIB in mobilising public and private financing to address investment gaps and strengthen the Union’s economic resilience in a challenging global environment; recalls that cross-border coordination, capital market integration and the good functioning of the single market are essential;

4. Underlines that EU-level action should complement, not crowd out, Member States’ investments; calls therefore for adequate flexibility within the EIB’s eligibility and appraisal framework to accommodate national and regional investment needs; recalls that public institutions should de-risk viable projects where market gaps exist, without substituting for private capital or creating permanent public financing structures;

5. Notes the call for a strengthened EIB in the next multiannual financial framework, in particular under the ECF-InvestEU framework;

6. Encourages the EIB to continue developing innovative financial instruments to mobilise Europe’s substantial private savings for productive investment so as to contribute to advancing the Savings and Investments Union;

Driving innovation for technological leadership

7. Is concerned that the EU risks losing capital, talent and innovation capacity to faster-moving global competitors, and that the EU continues to lag behind in the development of key enabling technologies; welcomes the launch of the TechEU programme, building on the successful European Tech Champions Initiative, mobilising up to EUR 250 billion in investment; calls for this programme to prioritise investments that are capable of competing globally and contributing to long-term sustainable growth;

8. Notes that almost 60 % of the EIB’s financing in 2025 was directed towards the transition to a low-carbon economy; calls on the EIB to reinforce competitiveness and economic security by enabling a predictable and affordable transition; supports investments across industrial value chains, including low-carbon technologies, to enable economically sustainable pathways to decarbonisation;

9. Notes, with satisfaction, that the EIB delivered EUR 16 billion in financing for small businesses and start-ups in 2025; underlines that improving access to finance, in particular to risk capital and scale-up funding, is crucial to support the growth of competitive European firms;

10. Calls on the EIB to further simplify and accelerate application and approval procedures, reduce administrative burdens and allocate funding on the basis of efficiency, economic viability and measurable impact; calls for proportionate ex post evaluations to ensure the effective use of resources and the crowd-in of private investment;

Financing energy security for industrial competitiveness

11. Highlights that industrial competitiveness is built on predictable and affordable energy prices; recalls that energy volatility remains a structural risk for the EU’s economy owing to geopolitical challenges and supply constraints; welcomes the EIB’s focus in 2026 on strengthening competitiveness and security;

12. Notes with satisfaction that in 2025, the EIB recorded EUR 33 billion in financing for Europe’s energy security, supporting EUR 108 billion in total investment, including EUR 11 billion for renewable energy sources in 2025; calls for climate and energy policies to be implemented in a pragmatic and technology-neutral manner, ensuring the financing of cost-effective solutions that guarantee affordable energy, system reliability and infrastructure development;

Defence and external action

13. Supports the March 2025 EIB Action Plan on strengthening Europe’s security and defence capabilities; welcomes the additional EUR 4 billion in new financing, which represents close to 5 % of total EIB investments in the EU; highlights that the EIB’s financial support for military mobility, strategic infrastructure and advanced technologies is key in driving market integration and reinforcing common European interests; supports the expansion of the investment scope beyond dual use to enable the financing of a wide range of military infrastructure and equipment; welcomes the updated eligibility criteria enhancing support for small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups through tailored financial instruments such as venture debt, equity investments and dedicated credit lines;

14. Highlights the importance of the role of the EU and the EIB in building mutually beneficial economic partnerships with non-EU countries and strengthening resilient supply chains and sustainable infrastructure; notes that the EIB has exceeded its mobilisation target under the Global Gateway initiative, reaching its EUR 100 billion goal in 2025, thereby reinforcing Europe’s economic interests and market access in a competitive global environment;

Support for cohesion and agriculture

15. Notes that in 2025, approximately half of the EIB’s financing supported investment in the EU’s less developed regions and EUR 3 billion went to agriculture and the bioeconomy; emphasises that ensuring access to financing in all regions is essential to foster economic convergence and that, together with reinforcing food security, this is crucial for the EU’s strategic autonomy;

Transparency and accountability

16. Recalls that EIB funds are public money and should always be subject to public scrutiny and accountability; notes progress in the 2025 Foreign Direct Investment Transparency Index but calls for further improvements; stresses the need for fiscal responsibility and the efficient use of funds to protect taxpayers’ money;

17. Stresses that carefully designed temporary guarantees should be used, where appropriate, rather than grants, limiting direct budgetary impact and favouring the crowd-in of private capital; recalls that guarantees represent a real fiscal risk and should be subject to the same discipline as direct expenditure; stresses that private investors should retain the primary exposure to commercial risk, while the EIB’s intervention should remain limited, clearly defined and temporary, ensuring project-specific risk mitigation;

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18. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The report welcomes the EIB’s strategic priorities for 2024-2027, which are closely aligned with the EU’s key political objectives, demonstrating the bank’s readiness to adapt to evolving policies while remaining committed to long-term goals.

Against the backdrop of multiple internal challenges, the need for future investments, and rising geopolitical tensions, there is a strong call for the EIB to play a greater role in addressing Europe’s investment needs and funding common EU priorities, especially in the defence policy area. The EIB Group is a key player in mobilising private and public investment across Europe and maximising the Bank’s potential to leverage investment is essential.

This year’s annual report focuses on the following key topics: closing the investment gap and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and innovation capacity; promoting the digital transformation; addressing challenges in energy infrastructure, cohesion and agriculture; and the EIB’s role in the neighbourhood and Global Gateway. Moreover, it recalls the need for public scrutiny and accountability, while maintaining its role of leveraging private resources and enabling crowd-in of investments.