EIB and Erste Bank sign 22-million-euro deal for Serbian companies — digitalization and green transition

NOVI SAD, 21 September 2026 — The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Erste Bank a.d. Novi Sad signed today a financing agreement worth 22 million euros, destined for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-cap companies in Serbia. The package includes a 20-million-euro loan from the EIB, as well as 2 million euros in grants — non-repayable funds — from the European Union, for digitalization, green transition and sustainable agriculture projects.

The agreement is the first in Serbia under the EIB’s "Innovation and Green Transformation Fund for the Western Balkans" program, which aims to accelerate the modernization of the region’s economies through investments in innovation and sustainability.

The EIB’s director for enlargement and neighborhood countries, Richard Amor, stressed the agreement will help Serbian companies modernize and turn innovation and sustainability into a competitive advantage. "Supporting private-sector-led sustainable growth is essential for economic resilience and integration into the EU market," he said.

For her part, the chairwoman of Erste Bank’s Executive Board, Jasna Terzić, stated this is the first financial instrument of its kind available on the Serbian market, which will spur investments in innovation, green technologies and sustainable agriculture. The EU grants, channeled through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), allow beneficiary companies to reduce loan repayment by 10%, while the package also includes technical assistance for Erste Bank itself.

The deputy head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, Julian Vassallo, praised the operation as confirming the EU’s continued commitment to developing the private sector in Serbia and bringing its economy closer to the EU Single Market. This is the seventh financial agreement between the EIB and Erste Bank since 2009.

EIB headquarters in Luxembourg. Photo: Caroline Martin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)