Comment Neelie (Kroes)

[...] More generally, to facilitate investment, and unlock access to the long term funds better suited to infrastructure investment, the Commission will shortly propose an initiative on project bonds, an initiative which has already got a positive reaction from investors. For the 2014-2020 period, the Commission has proposed a new “Connecting Europe Facility”, of which 9.2 billion euros would be used to support broadband investment and pan-European digital public services. 6.4 billion euros of this would be earmarked for broadband infrastructure, largely in the form of equity, debt or guarantees. The Commission and EIB would also provide credibility, and improve the projects' credit rating by absorbing part of the risk.