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Economy and Finance

Coordination with the European Investment Fund

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the EU’s specialist vehicle for private equity, guarantees and microfinance, primarily in support of SMEs, micro- and social enterprises. The EIF is part of the European Investment Bank Group and partly owned by.

Commission participation in the EIF

The rules for the Commission’s participation in the EIF are set out in a Council Decision. This requires regular contact with the EIF in order to assess the need for informal consultations within the Commission.
As set out in its Statutes, the EIF is managed by three authorities: the General Meeting, the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive and the Deputy Chief Executive.

EIF Board of Directors

The EIF’s Board of Directors consists of seven Directors, two of whom are designated by the Commission and appointed by the EIF General Meeting. The Board meets approximately once a month, in particular to:

  • decide on EIF operations
  • adopt guidelines and directives for the operations and management of the EIF
  • draw up proposals for submission to the General Meeting
  • set criteria for the return on EIF operations
  • ensure that the EIF is managed in accordance with its statutes and the guidelines adopted by the Board

Between physical meetings of the Board, EIF Board decisions can also be taken by means of written procedure.

EIF General Meeting

The EIF General Meeting meets at least once a year. The Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs, on behalf of the European Commission, prepares notifications to the Council and the European Parliament on matters to be discussed at the EIF's General Annual Meeting.