FCC Construcción has been present at the presentation by the Agency for International Cooperation for Development of the "European Plan for Foreign Investment".

The meeting was attended by various personalities from Cofides, ICEX, the World Bank, UN habitat, as well as members of the European Commission and representatives of the Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, together with representatives of private construction companies.

The European Union has taken a new step in the implementation of its ambitious European Foreign Investment Plan (PIE), with the approval, on November 13, 2018, of the Investment Programs presented by the Spanish Administration (through of AECID and COFIDES) and by other leading European development entities such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the French Development Agency (AFD) or the German Development Bank ( KfW), among others.

The European Union ends the allocation of the 1,500 million euros foreseen for its guarantee fund (European Fund for Sustainable Development, FEDS), which will allow the mobilization of private financing in African countries and the European Neighborhood and the contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the 2030 Agenda.

AECID and COFIDES will manage for the first time the granting of guarantees in the sectors of renewable energies, financial inclusion and sustainable cities, for a total of 158 million euros; what will contribute to the SDGs, especially those related to the end of poverty, accessible and non-polluting energy, action for climate, sustainable cities and communities, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, among others.

The renewable energy proposal will have 20 million euros of guarantees and 2 million technical assistance. The main objective of this program is to support the generation of renewable energies with independent private producers in sub-Saharan Africa, with special emphasis on rural areas. With this proposal, private sector investments will be supported, access to clean and sustainable energy will be promoted and work will be done to improve the living conditions of the population of the partner countries.

RECIDE, approved by Brussels last June with a guarantee of 100 million euros and a technical assistance of 20 million, has the participation of the World Bank. The goal of this program is to mitigate the risk perception of the Local Corporations and City Councils in Africa, allowing them to access financing for the development of their projects. The main sectors of action will be: the management of solid waste, sanitation and water supply, energy efficiency in urban contexts and the resilience of cities.

In short, the management of these Programs will allow Spain to champion a European initiative that aims to address the root causes of poverty and migratory movements, and at the same time, encourage greater participation of the Spanish private sector in development projects.