BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.3. The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group maintained a high level of activity in Belgium in 2025, providing €2.6 billion in financing to support climate action, energy security, social housing and innovation, the Bank said, Trend reports.
The financing, which included €157 million from the European Investment Fund (EIF), focused on priority areas such as social and affordable housing, energy efficiency, and energy and water infrastructure as part of the green transition. More than two thirds of the Group’s total investment volume in Belgium — around €1.76 billion — was climate-related.
At the global level, the EIB Group signed close to €100 billion in new financing in 2025, supporting hundreds of projects aligned with EU policy priorities, including approximately €57 billion for green projects.
Energy security remained a key focus in Belgium, reflecting the Group’s overall €33 billion commitment across Europe in 2025. In Wallonia, the EIB provided a €280 million loan to ORES to modernize and future-proof its electricity distribution network. This was complemented by a €100 million cooperation with Wallonie Entreprendre to help small businesses finance sustainability investments. In addition, Société wallonne du crédit social (SWCS) signed a first €250 million tranche under a larger facility to support energy-efficient renovation of private homes.
Innovation financing also featured prominently. The EIB provided venture debt to two Belgian scale-ups, including €37.5 million to space technology company Aerospacelabs and €20 million to SamanTree, whose microscopic scanning technology aims to improve the precision of cancer surgeries.
In Flanders, the EIB signed the first €700 million tranche of what will become its largest-ever financing operation in Belgium: a €1.7 billion agreement with the Flemish government to support the construction of 56,000 new social housing units by 2042, alongside the energy-efficient renovation of thousands of existing homes. The Bank also renewed its long-standing partnership with water company Aquafin, providing €265 million for wastewater treatment infrastructure.
In the Brussels Capital Region, EIB Group financing focused on improving access to finance and boosting competitiveness for small and medium-sized enterprises, including a €50 million agreement with finance&invest.brussels to support small entrepreneurs.
The EIF continued to back Belgian SMEs through guarantees and equity investments in specialised funds. With support from the European Commission’s InvestEU programme, the EIF invested in initiatives such as Avante, a pan-European fund targeting biotech scale-ups, and Heran Healthtech Fund II.
With a strong pipeline of projects in mobility, healthcare and innovation, the EIB Group said it will continue to finance investments that deliver tangible benefits for citizens and businesses.
The European Investment Bank Group — comprising the EIB and the EIF — is the European Union’s financial arm and is owned by its 27 Member States, with Belgium holding a 5.2% share. The EIB provides long-term financing for investments that support EU policy objectives, while the EIF focuses on improving access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises through guarantees, equity investments and microfinance.