The European Investment Bank on Thursday approved €7.9 billion in fresh financing to accelerate innovation, sustainability and global partnerships, marking the largest single-year commitment in its history. The funds will target green transition projects, digital infrastructure and strategic alliances with partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the EIB said in a statement .
Vice-President Robert de Groot, on his first official visit to Istanbul, separately announced €200 million in new financing to support Türkiyes green transition and signalled the bank’s interest in modernising the country’s railway network . The twin announcements underscore the EIB’s pivot toward large-scale climate and connectivity investments across Europe and beyond.
Meanwhile, corporate lobbying expenditure in Brussels has surged to at least €382 million per year, according to two NGOs whose latest report shows a 7% increase from 2025 . Big Tech, finance, energy and chemicals groups are the biggest spenders, with Apple alone quadrupling its Brussels lobbying budget to €73 million . Critics warn the influx risks skewing EU policy in favour of vested interests.
In Romania, a Croatian private-equity fund that drew capital from the country’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan has acquired Seatbelt Consulting, the market leader in occupational health and safety services . Provectus Capital Partners, which benefited from PNRR funds, now controls the Bucharest-based firm, raising questions about the use of recovery money in cross-border takeovers.
Elsewhere, Abu Dhabi’s Masdar is deepening its Spanish renewables footprint by paying €150 million to Repsol for wind and solar assets, following earlier purchases from Endesa and Brookfield . The deal adds to a wave of Gulf capital flowing into Europe’s energy transition.
European tech funding rebounded in May to €10.5 billion, driven by mega-rounds despite a drop in deal volume . Samsung and LVMH led a €73 million Series A in Theker, an AI-powered industrial robotics start-up, alongside Inditex and CRV .
A Canadian-backed developer plans to build a €500 million defence and logistics park in central Lithuania, signalling new industrial corridors in the Baltics . The project underscores NATO’s push for resilient supply chains across Eastern Europe.
Against this backdrop, a group of wealthy EU countries has launched a rebellion against minimal cuts to the bloc’s €2 trillion seven-year budget, complicating negotiations over fiscal discipline . The dispute highlights tensions between frugal states and those seeking to maintain high levels of public investment.