European Investment Bank is an European Union Bank that is the largest multilateral borrower and leader by volume, they provide finance and expertise for sound and sustainable investment projects which contribute to furthering EU policy objectives, they support projects that make a significant contribution to growth and employment in Europe, and all of the products they finance must not only be bankable but must also comply with strict economic, technical, environmental, and social standards. The EIB group consists of around 2000 staff members that make a combined total of 50 years experience in the field of banking. This bank had a strong response to the 2008 financial crisis, when this crisis first happened EU asked EIB to offset falling investments, which led to more than on third increase in the total value of on going, outstanding loans by 2011. This was a 10 billion Euro capital increase agreed by their shareholders, the EU Member States in 2012, allows for 60 billion Euro additional lending in the EU during 2013-2015 periods. This has enabled them to already deliver an exceptional in =crease in lending in 2013 and they were able to provide support to the economic recovery in Europe, which played a role to mobilizing investments, attracting other investors and rebuilding confidence in the market. .
In 2013 European Investment Bank recorded a 21.9 billion EUR for SME's, which is up 50% on 2012, catalyzing over 50 billion EUR in support of Europe's small businesses. They had exceptional measures to promote access to finance for SME's which included, EIB finance for working capital, first EIB trade finance operations in Greece and Cyprus, 9.1 billion EUR approved support for EIB's skills and jobs (which was investing in the youth initiative), and EIB support for agriculture. They also raised 72 billion Euros on the international capital markets, which are being used to borrow at attractive rates and pass those benefits on to economically viable projects.