European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Contact

Communications Department

Tel: +44 20 7338 6372

Fax: +44 20 7338 6102

Email: charlesj [at] ebrd.com (charlesj[at]ebrd[dot]com)

Web: www.ebrd.com

charlesj [at] ebrd.com

Web

https://www.ebrd.com

Address

One Exchange Square London EC2A 2JN
United Kingdom

Since its establishment in 1991, the EBRD has become the largest financial investor in a region that stretches from central Europe to Central Asia, the Western Balkans and the southern and eastern Mediterranean. Working together with the private sector, the Bank invests in projects, engages in policy dialogue and provides technical advice that fosters innovation and builds sustainable and open-market economies.

The Bank’s investments also mobilize significant foreign direct investment into its countries of operations. It invests mainly in private enterprises, usually together with commercial partners. It provides project financing for the financial sector and the real economy, both new ventures and investments in existing companies. It also works with publicly-owned companies to support privatization, the restructuring of state-owned firms and improvement of municipal services.

The EBRD is owned by 65 countries from five continents, as well as two intergovernmental institutions (the European Union and the European Investment Bank). It maintains a close political dialogue with governments, authorities, and representatives of civil society to promote its goals. It also works in cooperation with international organizations such as the OECD, the IMF, the World Bank and UN specialized agencies.

In all its operations the EBRD follows the highest standards in corporate governance and sustainable development. As a public institution, the EBRD is committed to a rigorous public information policy.

TCB-related programme

The EBRD is a project finance institution and its main TCB-related activities in its countries of operations are the following:

Trade Financing: Through the Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP), designed to overcome counter-party risks in trade credits, the EBRD has supported over 11,000 transactions for a total of €7 billion since the Programme was launched in 1999. In addition to providing trade finance guarantees, the EBRD also extends short-term loans to selected banks in its countries of operations. These loans are structured to fund trade-related advances to local companies exclusively for the purpose of pre-shipment finance, post- shipment finance and other financing of working capital necessary for the performance of foreign trade contracts. Credit agreements are signed between the EBRD and these selected banks.

Investment in trade-related infrastructure: The EBRD supports investments in cross-border transport infrastructure, including roads, railways, airlines, ports, shipping and logistics companies and associated equipment, as well as in regional power pools and projects to promote regional energy markets. In 2016, for example, the Bank provided loans to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a total amount of € 86 million which are set to bolster the development of the Pan-European Corridor Vc in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the upgrading of facilities at the Port of Brcko (the Bank’s first inland port project), by improving railway access to the harbour, in turn reinforcing regional integration and trade.

Advisory services and financing to enterprises: The EBRD also provides both advisory services and financing to export-orientated enterprises that improve product quality to internationally accepted standards. In the agricultural sector, the EBRD has developed a financing structure where loans are secured by commodities and provided through local banks. This significantly reduces the risks for commercial banks and eases access to financing by farmers, food processors and traders. To widen its outreach to smaller enterprises, the EBRD provides financing to local financial intermediaries dedicated to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Selected TCB programmes and initiatives in this guide

Global Advocacy

Conferences and Events

Trade Policy Development

Support for accession to the WTO GPA

Legal and Regulatory Framework

Support for accession to the WTO GPA

Supply Capacity

Agribusiness

Compliance support infrastructure and services

Trade integration of enterprises through improved standards

Trade promotion capacity building

SME support under the EBRD’s Small Business Initiative

E-commerce Services & Digital Economy

Supporting the digital economy, innovation and knowledge-based activities

Physical Trade Infrastructure

Infrastructure and transport policy

Trade-Related Financial Services

Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP)

Gender Mainstreaming, Employment and Youth

Promoting inclusive economic institutions

Other Trade-Related Activities

Technical Cooperation Funds Programme (TCFP)

Partnerships

The EBRD works in partnership with multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, UN agencies, the European Commission and other financial organizations such as the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) and the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO). It frequently co-finances investment projects with other international financial institutions, such as the European Investment Bank or the International Finance Corporation.