📅 On 28 April 2026, the European Long-Term Investors Association (ELTI), alongside sister associations AECM - European Association of Guarantee Institutions and European Association of Public Banks (EAPB), participated in a “Reality Check” meeting organised by the European Commission with National Promotional Banks and Institutions (NPBIs), Member States and other relevant stakeholders.

💬 This discussion provided a valuable opportunity to exchange with DG COMP on the role of NPBIs in ensuring access to finance to support the Clean Industrial Deal and, more broadly, on how State aid rules can promote the clean transition and support EU competitiveness.

⚖️ ELTI emphasised the need for a tailored, no one-size-fits-all approach to State aid rules, reflecting diverse market gaps across Member States. It also highlighted the importance of strengthening trust in NPBIs as implementing partners, while adapting State aid frameworks to better support financial instruments and crowd in private investment.

🤝 The meeting brought together a wide range of NPBIs and long-term investors, including Bulgarian Development Bank, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, Bpifrance, Groupe Caisse des Dépôts, CDP Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, EIFO, HBOR - Hrvatska banka za obnovu i razvitak, HDB - Hellenic Development Bank SA, Invest-NL, KfW, Malta Development Bank, Národní rozvojová banka, (SBCI) Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, Nordic Investment Bank and Finnvera.

🏢 We were also pleased to host an informal debrief afterwards at our office in Rue Montoyer, a great opportunity to continue the exchange in a more informal setting and strengthen cooperation among partners.

 🙏 Many thanks for the fruitful discussion to Martina Colombo, Felice Simonelli, Elsa Troilo, Max Mireur, Ronan Bourgeois, Brian Colgan, Alison Micallef, Zaharina Todorova, Jakob Ringgaard Frederiksen, Rasmus Borup Beck-Larsen, Davide G. De Paratesi, Jorine Zandhuis, Dmitri Kouznetsov and Jisk Hoogma.