EIB Group Marks 50 Years in Portugal With €70 Billion Invested and New Funding for Growth

In 2025, the EIB Group mobilized €12 billion in investment in Portugal, equivalent to around 4% of the country’s GDP.

The European Investment Bank Group is marking 50 years of investment in Portugal, where its partnership began on 7 April 1976. The anniversary coincides with the 40th anniversary of Portugal's accession to the European Communities in 1986, linking the Group's work to the country's European integration. Since its first loans in Portugal, the EIB Group has invested more than €70 billion across over 1,000 projects.

That financing has supported bridges, railways, ports, metros, schools, housing, clean energy and innovative companies, shaping the country's infrastructure and communities. The Group combines long-term funding with technical expertise and investment from other sources to turn European priorities into projects for people and businesses.

The anniversary was marked at Lisbon's Ministry of Finance, with President António José Seguro, EIB Group President Nadia Calviño, Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento and other Portuguese and European leaders in attendance. At the event, Calviño announced new financing for recovery, housing, transport, energy networks, businesses and public investment, with operations expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

Recovery, housing and transport investments

A €750 million package will support recovery and reconstruction in areas hit by extreme weather, including €250 million for damaged municipal infrastructure and equipment and a €500 million loan to Banco Português de Fomento for small and mid-sized businesses. The EIB will provide €300 million to IFRRU 2030 for affordable and sustainable housing. Another €400 million will go to Lisbon Metro's modernization and expansion, and a third €300 million tranche for EDP's electricity distribution networks in Portugal and Spain includes €213 million for Portugal.

Financing businesses and public investment

Portugal will contribute up to €50 million to the European Tech Champions Initiative 2.0, and a €150 million guarantee with Caixa Geral de Depósitos is expected to mobilize €420 million for SME and mid-cap suppliers. The guarantee is intended to improve businesses' access to finance and liquidity. The EIB Group will also provide €250 million to co-finance investments by public entities, including municipalities, under EU-funded programmes for 2021–2027.

That public investment is expected to help deliver key projects and strengthen economic and social cohesion across the country. The new commitments build on the Group's broader role in Portugal, which includes support for infrastructure, businesses, clean energy and community services. President Seguro said EIB financing has helped connect regions, improve water supplies, modernize businesses and develop renewable energy.

Long-term support for homes and communities

In 2025, the EIB Group mobilized €12 billion in investment in Portugal, equivalent to around 4% of the country's GDP. Housing has become one of its largest social priorities in the country, with more than €3 billion in housing financing committed across 2025 and 2026. The supported programmes foresee building or renovating more than 70,000 homes.

Finance Minister Miranda Sarmento described the EIB as a key partner in Portugal's development and investment across sectors from housing to infrastructure. Calviño said the Group had contributed to the country's economic and social progress over five decades and reaffirmed its commitment to Portugal. The anniversary links that record to the country's next round of investment in recovery, housing, transport and business growth.