Decision No 1639/2006/EC is hereby amended as follows:
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in Article 8, the following paragraph is added:
‘5a.Without prejudice to paragraphs 1 to 5, for projects carried out under the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds referred to in Article 31(2), the Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) shall submit an interim report to the European Parliament and the Council in the second half of 2013. An independent full-scale evaluation shall be carried out in 2015.
On the basis of that evaluation, the Commission shall assess the relevance of the Europe 2020 Project Bond Initiative and its effectiveness in increasing the volume of investments in priority projects and enhancing the efficiency of Union spending. In the light of that assessment, taking into account all options, the Commission shall consider proposing appropriate regulatory changes, including legislative changes, in particular if the predicted market uptake is not satisfactory or in the event that alternative sources of long-term debt financing become sufficiently available.
The interim report referred to in the first subparagraph shall include a list of the projects which have benefited from the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds referred to in Article 31(2a) to (2e), with information on the terms of the bonds issued and the types of current and potential future investors.’;
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in Article 26(2), point (b) is replaced by the following:
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stimulation of innovation through the wider adoption of, and investment in, ICT and broadband;’;
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Article 31 is amended as follows:
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paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:
‘2.The projects referred to in paragraph 1(a) shall aim to promote innovation, technology transfer and the dissemination of new technologies that are ready for market uptake.
The Union may award a grant to contribute to the budget of those projects.
The Union may, alternatively, make, during a pilot phase in 2012 and 2013, a financial contribution to the EIB towards the provisioning and capital allocation for debt instruments or guarantees to be issued by the EIB from its own resources under the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds.’;
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the following paragraphs are inserted:
‘2a.The risk-sharing instrument for project bonds referred to in the third subparagraph of paragraph 2 is a joint instrument by the Commission and the EIB which provides added value as a Union intervention, addresses sub-optimal investment situations when projects do not receive adequate financing from the market, and provides additionality. It avoids distortion of competition, aims to secure a multiplier effect and aligns interests in the form of a credit enhancement. The risk-sharing instrument for project bonds shall:
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take the form of a debt instrument or a guarantee granted by the EIB with the support of a Union budget contribution in favour of financing provided to projects in the field of ICT and broadband, complementing or attracting financing by Member States or the private sector;
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mitigate the debt service risk of a project and the credit risk of bond holders;
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be used only for projects whose financial viability is based on project revenues.
2b.The Union exposure to the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds, including management fees and other eligible costs, shall in no case exceed the amount of the Union contribution to the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds nor extend beyond the maturity of the underlying portfolio of credit enhancement facilities. There shall be no further liability on the general budget of the Union. The residual risk related to project bond operations shall always be borne by the EIB.
2c.The main terms, conditions and procedures of the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds are laid down in Annex IIIa. The detailed terms and conditions for implementing the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds, including risk sharing, remuneration, monitoring and control, shall be laid down in a cooperation agreement between the Commission and the EIB. That cooperation agreement shall be approved by the Commission and the EIB according to their respective procedures.
2d.In 2013, an amount of up to EUR 20 million may be used from the budget allocated for the pursuance of ICT and broadband policy in accordance with the rule set out in point (b) of Annex I. Given the limited duration of the pilot phase, the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds may reuse any revenues received before 31 December 2013 for new debt instruments and guarantees within the same risk-sharing facility and for projects fulfilling the same eligibility criteria in order to maximise the volume of investments supported. In the event that the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds is not extended into the next multiannual financial framework, any remaining funds shall be returned to the revenue side of the general budget of the Union.
2e.In addition to the reporting requirements set out in point 49 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 17 May 2006 on budgetary discipline and sound financial management, and without prejudice to any other regulatory reporting requirements, the Commission shall report to the European Parliament and the Council every six months during the pilot phase on the performance of the risk-sharing instrument for project bonds, including the financial terms and placement of any project bonds issued.’;
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the following Annex is added: