In 2022, the EIB Group’s (European Investment Bank, European Investment Fund) financing agreed for projects in Poland reached €5.45 billion, with almost half of the new commitments (49%) devoted to climate action and environmental sustainability.
Over the course of the year, the Group continued its support in four priority areas: sustainable development of cities and regions; sustainable transformation of the energy sector; development of digitalisation, innovation and human capital; and development of small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-cap companies.
Sustainable urban and regional development. In 2022, a total of €3.19 billion in funding was agreed to support the sustainable development of Polish cities and regions. The EIB Group’s funding has enabled both investment in and development of the green transformation of urban infrastructure in cities including Opole, Zielona Góra, Bielsko Biała, Wrocław, Warsaw, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Łódź, Rybnik and Rzeszów. In both Warsaw and Poznań, projects for greener and more efficient water management have been launched, receiving €298 million in financing.
A significant portion of the EIB Group’s funding was allocated to the development of sustainable transport infrastructure, resulting in the city of Kraków finalising a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with the Bank worth PLN 180 million. The project will be the first public-private partnership in Poland’s urban transport sector, serving as a pioneering enterprise which can potentially be replicated by other local authorities. Additionally, the European Investment Bank has strengthened its cooperation with Poland’s rail company, PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A., with €600 million in financing being utilised to develop and modernise the Polish railway network. In recent years, improvements to the railway network and modernisation of rolling stock have made rail travel more popular within the country and have prompted a migration from car to train travel, particularly for long-distance journeys.
This funding represents an ongoing commitment from the Bank: between 2018 and 2022, the EIB Group has contributed €11.82 billion to the development of Polish cities and regions.
Poland is primary beneficiary of the solidarity package. The EIB’s solidarity package is a support provided within the framework of cohesion policy. The European Investment Bank has provided assistance, primarily to EU Member States, that are struggling with the migration crisis caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine. The EIB approved the €4 billion package in May 2022, with €2 billion of that sum being allocated to Poland. As a result of agreements signed by the EIB and BGK, Poland has already received two tranches totalling €1.2 billion, and this funding is enabling cities and regions hosting Ukrainian refugees to adapt to these refugees’ needs by developing key infrastructure.
Continued support for energy sector transformation. The European Investment Bank and PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna have signed a financing agreement representing PLN 2 billion of funding that will be used to modernise electricity distribution grid infrastructure. The funds will be used to invest in electricity lines, transformers, digital communication, energy storage and modern metering, enabling PGE’s distribution network to connect to new sources of renewable energy. The EIB Group in 2022 committed €996 million to this sector and earmarked a total of €3.25 billion between 2018 and 2022 to assist the transformation of Poland’s energy sector.
Financing digitalisation, innovation and human capital development. In 2022, the EIB provided €560 million in support for digitalisation and innovations’ sector, including €103 million to enable P4, the operator of the Play network, to expand and develop modern and innovative infrastructure. This investment is helping to eliminate inequalities in access to ultra-fast broadband services within the country. Between 2018 and 2022, the EIB Group’s support for digitalisation and innovation within Poland amounted to €4.65 billion.
Small and medium-sized companies and mid-caps are a key engine in the Polish economy. In 2022, the EIB Group provided €695 million in financing for SMEs and mid-caps, facilitating support for 69 192 companies and sustaining 650 888 jobs.
Agreements signed with Bank Pekao, Bank Millennium, Santander Bank Polska, BNP Paribas and Societe General enabled Polish businesses to access a wide range of financing, facilitating their investment in energy-efficient solutions, digitalisation, innovation and human capital development. Between 2018 and 2022, EIB Group financing for entrepreneurship in Poland amounted to €7.03 billion.
