The first agreement signed with the city under the framework loan covers approximately €26.7 million and will underpin investment in urban infrastructure and transport, as well as environmental and climate policies.

“Promoting dynamic development of medium-sized cities is one of the EIB's key lines of action. As the EU's climate bank, the EIB finances upgrades to and expansion of top-notch urban infrastructure, as well as climate and environmental projects, especially in cohesion regions. Last year, the EIB allocated almost €2.4 billion to sustainable development of regions and cities in Poland,” EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska said during a visit to Kielce. 

Long-term, beneficial financing from the EIB will allow Kielce to co-finance projects that also receive direct grants from the European Union budget, helping with their effective absorption in Poland. An agreement for the second tranche of financing for the city is expected next.

The EIB has signed 24 financing agreements with cities and municipal companies totalling over €1.7 billion since 2022. Including infrastructure financing and intermediated loans, the bank's support to sustainable investment of cities and regions has reached €7.89 billion in the last three years. Alongside big cities, beneficiaries have also included the medium-sized ones with between 100,000 and 250,000 inhabitants. Last year, the EIB granted framework loans totalling over €238.6 million to Kielce, Radom, Rybnik and Chorzów.

“Working together with the EIB is a real step forward in the continued sustainable development of Chorzów. This EIB loan will help the city make strategic investments in key areas such as urban infrastructure and environmental protection. Used effectively, the funding will help improve quality of life for our city's inhabitants and make Chorzów more competitive on the regional map,” said Chorzów Mayor Szymon Michałek.