EIB tekent overeenkomst met Air Rianta waarmee het vliegveld Cork een kapitaalinjectie van 115 miljoen euro krijgt (en)

The Chairman of Aer Rianta, Mr Noel Hanlon, and Vice President Michael Tutty of the European Investment Bank, today signed an agreement for a €EUR 115m million loan facility. The loan will be used to part-finance the development of Cork Airport where Aer Rianta is currently building a new terminal facility and significant additional infrastructure.

Construction work on the redevelopment of Cork Airport commenced last July and is progressing well, with completion of the new terminal scheduled for 2005. The new terminal will initially have capacity for three million passengers per year in a visually exciting glass and steel structure, and has the potential to expand to five million in the longer term in response to demand. The new development includes a multi-storey car park, internal roadways and upgraded utility services. Fire fighting and technical facilities will also be upgraded to match the new terminal.

Traffic growth through Cork has been very strong in recent years and passenger numbers are up 16% year to date. The airport is planning to celebrate a significant new milestone later this month when, for the first time, two million passengers will pass through its facilities in the same calendar year.

Welcoming the loan agreement, Mr Hanlon said: "This is a significant and cost effective source of capital being made available by the European Investment Bank to fund the development programme at Cork Airport. It represents a strong vote of confidence by the Bank in the quality and value of the facilities under construction and a recognition of the importance of the airport to the economy of Cork and the wider Munster region."

Commenting, Mr Tutty said: "The extension of Cork airport will significantly support continued economic development in the Cork area and the South West region of Ireland. The need for support for economic development in the region is underlined by its Objective 1 status until the end of 2005. EIB has also reflected the need for rapid improvements in facilities at Cork by providing funds under the Accelerated Finance Initiative, which is designed to bring forward important infrastructure investments across the Union. The increased airport capacity will generate economic benefits by accommodating future traffic growth and relieving current pressure on facilities".

Cork Airport Development Fact File

New 25,000 sq metre terminal building; Capacity, three million passengers with potential for five million; Three new airbridges linked to terminal; Three new 45m baggage reclaim belts; Thirty passenger check-in desks; 3,400 sq metres of retail/catering space; 4,500 car park spaces including new multi-storey short-term car park with 600 spaces; New internal road facilities including dual carriageway to Cork/Kinsale road; Upgraded fire station and other essential utility services

Cork Airport Passenger & Route Fact File

Passenger traffic in 2003 up 16% year-to-date to record 2.18 m at year end; Two million passenger threshold to be breached in late November for first time; An extra 300,000 passengers will pass through Cork Airport in 2003 over 2002; Twelve scheduled airlines on 24 routes; Recent scheduled route development includes: - CSA Czech Airlines to Prague, Bmi Baby to Manchester and East Midlands and Cardiff -Air Wales to Dublin ;Jet Magic to Alicante, Belfast, Barcelona, Nice, Milan, Rome, Jersey and Nantes, Liverpool, London City, Paris, and Edinburgh

For further information, please contact:

EIB - Mr. Dusan Ondrejicka, tel + 352 / 43 79 3150 e-mail <A onclick="popup(this.onclick="popup(this.href+'&noframes=1',0,0);return false" href+'&noframes=1',0,0);return false" HREF="mailto:d.ondrejicka@eib.org">d.ondrejicka@eib.org or visit EIB's website www.eib.org

or

Aer Rianta - Mr. Vincent Wall, tel + 353 87 686 0727 e-mail <A onclick="popup(this.onclick="popup(this.href+'&noframes=1',0,0);return false" href+'&noframes=1',0,0);return false" HREF="mailto:vincent.wall@aer-rianta.ie">vincent.wall@aer-rianta.ie

N

Notes to the Editor

The EIB is owned by the EU Member States. Set up in 1958, its mission is to contribute to the EU's policy objectives by financing sound investment. Though a not-for-profit organisation, it is self-financing, raising its funds by borrowing on capital markets.

EIB's key operational objectives are to finance: regional development and economic and social cohesion of the EU, including integration of future Member States; knowledge and R&D intensive industries; environmental protection and improvement; improved international competitiveness of industry; SMEs; trans-European networks in transport, telecom and energy; human capital: education and health. EIB also supports the EU's development and co-operation policies in Partner Countries outside the EU by providing finance under mandate.

The European Investment Fund (EIF), in which the EIB has a majority stake, is the EU specialised vehicle providing venture capital and guarantee instruments, mainly for small and medium sized enterprises.

Cork Airport Development Fact File

New 25,000 sq metre terminal building

Capacity, three million passengers with potential for five million.

Three new airbridges linked to terminal

Three new 45m baggage reclaim belts

Thirty passenger check-in desks

3,400 sq metres of retail/catering space

4,500 car park spaces including new multi-storey short-term car park with 600 spaces

New internal road facilities including dual carriageway to Cork/Kinsale road

Upgraded fire station and other essential utility services

Cork Airport Passenger & Route Fact File

Passenger traffic in 2003 up 16% year-to-date to record 2.18 m at year end.

Two million passenger threshold to be breached in late November for first time.

An extra 300,000 passengers will pass through Cork Airport in 2003 over 2002.

Twelve scheduled airlines on 24 routes

Recent scheduled route development includes:

CSA Czech Airlines to Prague

Bmi Baby to Manchester and East Midlands and Cardiff

Air Wales to Dublin

Jet Magic to Alicante, Belfast, Barcelona, Nice, Milan, Rome, Jersey and Nantes,

Liverpool, London City, Paris, and EdinburghFor further information, please contact:

EIB -

Mr. Dusan Ondrejicka, tel + 352 / 43 79 3150 e-mail <A onclick="popup(this.onclick="popup(this.href+'&noframes=1',0,0);return false" href+'&noframes=1',0,0);return false" HREF="mailto:d.ondrejicka@eib.org">d.ondrejicka@eib.org

or visit EIB's website www.eib.org

O or Aer Rianta - Mr. Vincent Wall, tel + 353 87 686 0727 e-mail <A onclick="popup(this.onclick="popup(this.href+'&noframes=1',0,0);return false" href+'&noframes=1',0,0);return false" HREF="mailto:vincent.wall@aer-rianta.ie">vincent.wall@aer-rianta.ie

EIB Provides Global Loan of EUR 150 Million to support SMEs in Hungary, Romania and Slovenia

Mr Philippe Maystadt, The Mr Philippe Maystadt today today EUR 150 million gGlLworth EUR 150 million On the occasion of At the margin of the Conference of Finance Ministers' Conference on the Balkans held today in Venice within the framework of the initiatives oftaken by the Italian Presidency of the EU Council of the European Union, tThe President of the European Investment Bank, Mr. Philippe Maystadt and Mr. Rainer Mazera, Director President of Sanpaolo IMI Group (SPIMI), today signed today (on 29 or 30 October 2003) part of a Global Loan of envelopefacility worthworth of EUR 150 million to support investment projects promoted byof small and medium-sized enterprises in Hungary, Romania and Slovenia. Mr. Walter Cernoia, CEO of Sanpaolo IMI Internazionale SpA (SPIMINT) co-signed the agreement since also today a mandate whereby SPIMINT will carry out certain tasks under the facility.

gGLlin support of for smaller frombetweenThe signedThis Global Loan is structured as represents an "umbrella" facility making EIB funds available for the financial institutions controlled by SPIMINT Sanpaolo IMI Internazionale SpA (SPIMINT), that is a wholly-owned 100% subsidiary of SPIMI. SPIMINT was established in 2002 for the purpose of earlier this year with the mission to developing and overseeing the Group's activities in geographical areas and countries of strategic interest, including ththose ofeCentral and Eastern Europe. aim to develop banking activities in some Central and Eastern European countries. SPIMINT has controlling stakes in owns parts of Inter Europa Bank rt. (IEB) in Hungary, San Paolo IMI Bank Romania S.A. (- Banca Commerciala West Bank S.A. (WB) in Romania, and Banka Koper d.d. (BK) in Slovenia. These banks andlong with others, depending on future acquisitions ofby SPIMI in the region - that will be activeng as intermediary partner banks providing access to EIB's funds Global Loans in the respective countries.

The amount allotted ttributed from the EIB loan to each subsidiary will depend on allocations generated by the respective partner bank concerned. It is expected that Tthe existingcurrent three local banks are expected to willto generate some EUR 50 million of eligible medium/long term loans each in over the next 24 months. EIB will provide training on eligibility criteria for staff responsible for lending operations in the subsidiaries.All allocations will be channelled through the Italian holding company, so that a uniform quality of project selection and documentation is guaranteed.

This Final beneficiaries of this gGlobal lLoan is will be primarily intended serves to finance investment projects mounted by s of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Other potential borrowers are and pPprivate or public promoters, of any size, being active in the sectors of energy, environmental protection, general infrastructure projects, diffusion of innovation, and research and development, information and communications networks, health and education and social housing can also be financed.

Commenting on the loan that was in Venice , held in Venicesigned today EIB President Maystadt stated: "The Financing projects under a Global Loan scheme has been proven as a important tool for supporting entrepreneurial activities of small and medium companies especially in those areas in which it is sometime difficult to obtain a loan. SMEs encourage further entrepreneurship and they are important and often flexible economic drivers as well as a significant source of employmentDd-sizedesingthe SME sector it hasisyet a got ly-rooted part of the economic scene roots facilitys provide an advantageous finance source of finance for this purpose important part of the economic activity oifn the countries concerned make a better access to finances for entrepreneurs starting their businesses or being active in areas less attractive for other banks to provide loans"""..

Since 1990, the EIB has lent a total of EUR 21 billion in Central and Eastern Europe to finance projects fostering the European integration, of which almost EUR 3 billion of this figure being was provided through Global Loans. Loans Lending so far this year for to the countries of the region exceedsamount to more than EUR 2 billion so far since the start of the year.

For further information, please visit our website www.eib.org or contact Mr. Dusan Ondrejicka, tel + 352 / 43 79 3150 e-mail <A onclick="popup(this.onclick="popup(this.href+'&noframes=1',0,0);return false" href+'&noframes=1',0,0);return false" HREF="mailto:d.ondrejicka@eib.org">d.ondrejicka@eib.org.