After the controversy generated by the fiasco of the Cantabrian trains that forced the resignation of the president of Renfe and the Secretary of State for Transport (former president of Adif), there were doubts as to whether the European Investment Bank (EIB) would maintain the loan of 150 million for this year in Spain, after that contract -in which the measurements of the trains were not correctly indicated- was financed by European funds through this body.
But the vice president of the entity, Ricardo Mourinho, confirmed at a press conference this Thursday in Madrid that the delay in the purchase of 31 trains for Cantabria and Asturias by Renfe will not alter the loan of 150 million that the EIB has given to project. Mourinho pointed out that they were informed that a series of modifications had to be made in the project, but he normalized that sometimes they have to be made in the initiatives that are presented.
Asked by the media, he explained that the bank can adjust the financing to the new terms if there are compelling reasons for it and the principles of the project do not change. He also assured that the Cantabrian project is closely aligned with the principles of the EIB because it contributes to replacing cars with trains.
Beyond this project, the EIB allocated 5,182 million euros last year to finance climate action and sustainability projects, 22% less than the 12,771 million in 2021. The vice president of the entity stressed that Spain is among the three countries with the highest financing received from the group, with a volume that represents 0.8% of national GDP. They are only surpassed by France and Italy, whose difference with Spain is “minimal”, he indicated.
This decrease in financing compared to 2021 is due to the fact that that year there was extraordinary financing of more than 2,600 million by the European Guarantee Fund.