News
CEB successfully closes capital increase, approves new social infrastructure projects, and pilots new approach to mainstreaming gender equality in operations
31 January 2025
PARIS – At its 345th meeting the Administrative Council of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) acknowledged the successful closing of the subscription period for the CEB’s 7th capital increase, with a shareholder participation rate of over 95%. The Administrative Council has also approved nine new loans totalling €843 million to support social infrastructure projects in education and vocational training, social and affordable housing, health and social care, and microfinance, and welcomed a new approach to assessing gender equality in the Bank’s operations.
The CEB’s 7th capital increase subscription period closes successfully
The subscription period for the CEB’s 7th capital increase closed on 31 December 2024, following the Bank’s Governing Board historic approval in December 2022 of a first-ever increase with paid-in capital. With a shareholders’ participation rate of over 95%, the CEB’s subscribed capital will rise to €9.6 billion and the paid-in capital to €1.8 billion.* Such high participation rate demonstrates the membership’s strong confidence in the CEB’s social mandate, equipping the Bank to deliver on its Strategic Framework, particularly operations in Ukraine.
Mainstreaming gender equality in CEB operations
Addressing gender equality is an important cross-cutting issue of the CEB’s current Strategic Framework. To mainstream gender equality in the operations it finances, the Bank has developed and begun implementing a new approach intended to further align projects’ internal methodology with internationally recognised standards. The results of the first implementation period will be shared with the Administrative Council in April 2025 when reporting on the key performance indicators across the Bank.
Loans approved
BELGIUM: A €100 million loan to Société Wallonne du Crédit Social (SWCS) will co-finance social mortgages and home improvement loans for low-income households, aiming to reduce inequalities in the region. The loan is expected to finance the purchase of 560 housing units, 224 of which will benefit from energy-efficiency improvements. The project targets vulnerable groups in Wallonia, including single-parent families, migrants, and young people, with women expected to account for 35% of the beneficiaries. The loan will also target beneficiaries living in the Just Transition regions, particularly in Charleroi, Mons and Tournai.
FINLAND: A €100 million loan will enable the City of Vantaa to expand and upgrade its educational infrastructure to meet the evolving needs of its diverse and growing population. In the past ten years, the city’s population has grown by 20%, with the proportion of foreign students having almost doubled, putting extra pressure on the education system to ensure equal access and high-quality learning outcomes for all. The project will focus on building new schools, renovating facilities and increasing day-care capacity while improving air quality to help create inclusive and healthy learning environments.
GERMANY: A €125 million loan to the City of Leipzig will co-finance investments in education infrastructure and accommodation for homeless people and refugees. The loan is expected to benefit more than 8,400 school-age children and improve the living conditions of around 900 homeless people and refugees. The project exemplifies the integration of social and climate priorities, by improving the energy efficiency of school and shelter infrastructure in line with the city's energy and climate protection programme.
ITALY: A €60 million loan will aid reconstruction efforts in Ischia following the 2017 earthquake and the 2022 landslide that struck the disaster-prone island. The project will support 62,300 residents and address socio-economic disparities, while also financing structural measures to mitigate hydrogeological risks. The project builds on the successful cooperation between the CEB and the Italian government in co-financing disaster recovery.
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA: An €8 million loan to O.C.N. Microinvest, one of the country’s largest microfinance companies, will promote financial inclusion and support income-generating activities for vulnerable groups. The project targets agricultural and business investments, with a focus on rural populations. It will address Moldova’s credit access gap as well as territorial inequalities.
SPAIN: A €250 million loan to Generalitat Valenciana, the regional government of the Autonomous Community of Valencia, will support recovery from one of the worst floods in Spain's history, which caused the death of at least 230 people and widespread damage to residential, commercial and public infrastructure in 2024. At least 87 municipalities in six districts were affected, with Comunitat Valenciana being the hardest-hit region. The loan will part-finance cash transfers to families and businesses severely affected by the floods, including those who have lost their homes and been relocated.
A €50 million loan to Institut Català De Finances (ICF) will support social services’ provision to vulnerable groups, such as the elderly or people with disabilities, in Catalonia. The loan will fund the construction and renovation of housing and day-care centres, providing high-quality, affordable social services tailored to individual needs. It will complement funding from the EU's €160 million Next Generation Fund for social projects and be guaranteed by the Autonomous Community of Catalonia.
UKRAINE: An additional €100 million loan for the HOME project will support the Government of Ukraine to provide housing solutions to the most vulnerable population groups who lost their homes due to the war. The initial HOME project loan, which was approved in 2024 and also amounted to €100 million, has restored housing rights to as many as 3,000 beneficiaries whose houses were destroyed.
Another €50 million loan to the Government of Ukraine will finance preferential housing loans through the State Fund for Youth Housing (SFYH). This initiative addresses critical socio-economic vulnerabilities by prioritising internally displaced persons (IDPs) who lack alternative housing solutions. The loan will enable approximately 1,100 displaced families to purchase housing and represents a vital intervention for Ukraine's housing sector.
*Note: paid-in capital €1.766 billion unrounded.
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) is a multilateral development bank, whose unique mission is to promote social cohesion in its 43 member states across Europe. The CEB finances investment in social sectors, including education, health and affordable housing, with a focus on the needs of vulnerable people. Borrowers include governments, local and regional authorities, public and private banks, non-profit organisations and others. As a multilateral bank with an excellent credit rating, the CEB funds itself on the international capital markets. It approves projects according to strict social, environmental and governance criteria, and provides technical assistance. In addition, the CEB receives funds from donors to complement its activities.