What is the EUSBSR Implementation Facility?

1. EU Strategy for the BSRImplementation Facility- A way of accelerating the EUSBSR -Gdansk,17 February 2011 European Investment Bank

2. What is the EUSBSR Implementation Facility? • A concept on how to promote the implementation of high priority medium sized schemes in the Baltic Sea Region • While JASPERS support is limited to the preparation of project applications from the Member States (MS) to the EC, the Implementation Facility will assist in speeding up the realisation of the projects after being approved by the EC • The Implementation Facility is open to project components that do not receive support from other forms of Technical Assistance (TA) or from JASPERS (no overlapping or crowding out) • The Implementation Facility will provide TA to high priority projects - not financial investment support & not interest subsidies European Investment Bank

3. Why is a EUSBSR Implementation Facility needed? • Project implementation is sometimes slow and project preparation can be complex • Projects exceeding EUR 50m in Structural Funds in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are eligible for JASPERS assistance for project preparation, in transport, energy, urban infrastructure, environment and RDI • Other TA facilities available have sectoral or geographical limitations (i.e. BSAP under NIB-Nefco target HELCOM BSAP projects, SIDA’s Baltic Sea Unit’s support limited to Swedish partners) • Complementarity of the EUSBSR Implementation Facility European Investment Bank

4. Main roles of JASPERS JASPERS normally assists MS as follows: • Preparation of applications for EU Structural Funds • The size or the supported schemes normally >EUR 50m • The sectors covered are normally transport, energy urban infrastructure, environment and RDI JASPERS does only exceptionally: • Support the implementation of projects • Support small schemes • Support schemes in other sectors as mentioned above European Investment Bank

5. Interventions from other sources [1] Projects less then EUR 50m may on exceptional basis get assistance from JASPERS upon the request of the Member State [2] In some 2-3 projects, as a pilot case, JASPERS has agreed to provide TA for implementation on an exceptional basis. European Investment Bank

6. The project cycle and the interventions by different parties Time of EC approval Preparation phase Implementation phase JASPERS Implementation Facility Procurement docs Contract signing Complementary studies Construction & Commissioning Application docs Feasibility studies Market studies General timeline for the entire project life time European Investment Bank

7. Main focus of EUSBSR Implementation Facility • The EUSBSR Implementation Facility is aimed at project implementation and preparation only when needed, including the implementation of projects previously prepared by JASPERS • To speed up the implementation of projects of local/ regional/national importance (including cross-border projects) • The Implementation Facility will not compete with existing TA initiatives in the area, it will rather complement such facilities • The focus of the facility is on TA and it will not be available for investment co-financing, loan guarantee cost financing, interest rate subsidy or risk capital operations European Investment Bank

8. The Establishment of the Implementation Facility The Implementation Facility could be managed by the EIB It would draw on contributions from: • Member States (the use of up to 4% of EU SF available for TA as contributions) could allocate funds in “national “pockets” in the Implementation Facility • Multilateral contributors, e.g. the European Commission • Bilateral contributors, such as the EU Member States and their development agencies • Other countries and their institutions and • IFIs active in the EUSBSR As Implementation Facility Manager the EIB would manage the provision of TA through its established network of consultants and outside experts. European Investment Bank

9. Why is coordination needed? • Promoters, for instance municipalities, do not always have the necessary in-house expertise • Not all promoters know where to ask for further assistance Why EIB as coordinator? • The Bank has already operations in the entire region • The Bank has at its disposal a large number of sector experts European Investment Bank

10. Timing and Financing • Phased approach • The Implementation Facility to start as a Pilot Project on a rather small scale until 2013 • After evaluation of pilot phase, the Implementation Facility to be enlarged and extended • The EIB has considerable experience in managing similar facilities and is successfully managing several Trust Funds encompassing a wide geographic scope European Investment Bank

11. Next Steps Time Table • Launch of Outline Document Jan 2011 • Consultation with Member States Jan-March 2011 • Allocation of Funds 1st half of 2011 • Presentation of provisional pipeline 1st half of 2011 • Signature of agreement 1st of June 2011 • Facility becoming operational 1st of July 2011 Financing Year Funds Number of targeted projects • 2011 EUR 2 m 3-5 projects • 2012 EUR 4 m 8-12 projects • 2013 EUR 4 m 8-12 projects In total EUR 10 m to be allocated progressively over the period 2011-2013 for a pilot phase. After mid-term evaluation, the facility could be enlarged and extended beyond 2013 European Investment Bank

12. For more information… http://www.eib.org/ Contacts: Alexander Schenk alexander.schenk@finance.ministry.se Roland Randefelt r.randefelt@eib.org Maja Roginska kozminsk@eib.org European Investment Bank