Kiev city roads receive 15 million Euros from EBRD Innovative traffic management system for major transport corridors in Ukraine's capital. The EBRD is providing the third major long-term financing for municipal transport in the city of Kiev. Kievdorservice, the municipal traffic management agency will receive a €15 million loan for an integrated traffic management system in this city of 2.7 million residents where traffic volumes are rising fast.

This transaction will complement investments already being made in modernisation of public transport systems, to which the Bank committed €100 million in 2007. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is the biggest financial investor in Ukraine. As of October 2008, it had committed over €3.86 billion through 163 projects. More entrepreneurs in Bosnia-Herzegovina to benefit from EBRD loans €10 million to help strengthen Partner’s lending capacity.

The EBRD is extending another €10 million loan to Mikrokreditna Fondacija Partner, a leading microfinance institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), to enable micro and small enterprises (MSEs) to gain more access to finance to start up or expand their businesses.

EBRD provides a €28.5 million loan to Ukrainian wood-panel company Syndicated credit supports expansion of Kronospan, boosts local competition. The EBRD is providing a €28.5 million loan to Kronospan UA, a wood-based panel producer located in Novovolynsk in north-western Ukraine, which is part of the Kronospan Group. Up to €12 million will be syndicated to commercial banks. Loan proceeds will be used for the construction of a medium-density fibre board (MDF) facility in Ukraine. EBRD makes first bank loan targeted at Russian farmers 600 million roubles loan to Centr-Invest Bank to help fight food inflation by boosting production.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is for the first time financing primary agriculture in Russia through a medium-term local currency loan specifically aimed at giving farmers in the fertile south the means to boost production and thus help combat food price inflation. The EBRD is providing a five-year loan of 600 million roubles (equivalent to €16.6 million) to Centr-Invest Bank. Centr-Invest is one of the EBRD’s main partner banks operating in and focusing on the Southern Federal District, historically Russia’s breadbasket, which produces 22 percent of the country’s agricultural output.

The EBRD funds are earmarked for much-needed on-lending to farmers and food processors so they can buy new machinery to replace outdated equipment, as well as purchase arable land and create new storage or processing facilities. EBRD provides €75 million for expansion of Hungarian motorway network M6-M60 motorway sections will be constructed and operated privately.

The EBRD is providing a €75 million loan to Mecsek Autópálya Koncesszios ZRt. (MAK) for the expansion of the Hungarian motorway network through a private operator. The MAK consortium, formed by Strabag A.G., Bouygues Travaux Publics S.A., Colas S.A., John Laing Infrastructure Limited and Intertoll Europe has been chosen by the government as preferred bidder for the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance 48 km section of the M6 motorway between Szekszárd and Bóly and the 30.2 km section of the M60 motorway between Bóly and Pécs.

The construction of the roads will improve transport links in Europe by expanding and improving the Trans European Network, of which the M6 is part. The road connects Budapest with the Croatian border and, once completed, will considerably facilitate traffic between Central Europe and the Balkans.