The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €300 million loan agreement with France's BPCE banking group to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the security and defence sector. This marks the first EIB operation in France under its recently expanded €3 billion facility aimed at strengthening the European defence value chain. The funding, triple the original €1 billion allocation, supports companies working in cybersecurity, surveillance, resilience, and emerging defence technologies. The agreement follows a similar deal with Deutsche Bank last week, as the EIB accelerates partnerships with European banks to unlock defence-sector financing. EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle said the move supports innovation and employment in local defence ecosystems, while his counterpart Robert de Groot described it as a critical step in boosting Europe's strategic capabilities. BPCE, through Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne, is the first French banking group to partner with the EIB under the new programme. The deal is part of a broader initiative launched on 6 June to promote joint defence financing among key EU member states. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
