European Investment Advisory Hub
Article 14
1. The European Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH) shall have as its objective to build upon existing EIB and Commission advisory services in order to provide advisory support for the identification, preparation and development of investment projects and to act as a single technical advisory hub for project financing within the Union. Such support shall include providing targeted support on the use of technical assistance for project structuring, on the use of innovative financial instruments and on the use of public-private partnerships and advice, as appropriate, on relevant issues relating to Union law, taking into account the specificities and needs of Member States with less-developed financial markets. The EIAH shall be able to provide technical assistance in the areas listed in Article 9(2), in particular energy efficiency, TEN-T and urban mobility. 2. The EIAH shall provide services in addition to those already available under other Union programmes, including: (a) providing a single point of entry for technical assistance for authorities and project promoters; (b) assisting project promoters, where appropriate, in developing their projects so that they fulfil the eligibility criteria set out in Article 6; (c) leveraging local knowledge to facilitate EFSI support across the Union; (d) providing a platform for peer-to-peer exchange and sharing of know-how regarding project development; (e) providing advice on the establishment of investment platforms. 3. EIAH services shall be available for public and private project promoters, including national promotional banks or institutions and investment platforms or funds and regional and local public entities. 4. Fees charged by the EIB for EIAH services under paragraph 2 shall be used for covering costs of the EIAH operations and for providing those services. Fees charged to SMEs shall be capped at one third of the cost of the technical assistance provided to them. EIAH services provided to public project promoters in addition to those already available under Union programmes shall be free of charge. 5. In order to achieve the objective referred to in paragraph 1, the EIAH shall seek to use the expertise of the EIB, the Commission, national promotional banks or institutions, and the managing authorities of the European Structural and Investment Funds. 6. In order to ensure broad coverage of services provided by the EIAH across the whole Union, the EIAH shall cooperate where possible with providers of similar services at Union, regional, national or sub-national level. Cooperation between, on the one hand, the EIAH and, on the other hand, a national promotional bank or institution or an institution or a managing authority, including those acting as a national advisor, having expertise relevant for the purposes of the EIAH, may take the form of a contractual partnership. 7. The Union shall contribute up to a maximum of EUR 20 000 000 per annum towards covering the costs of EIAH operations until 31 December 2020 for the services provided by the EIAH under paragraph 2 which are in addition to those already available under other Union programmes, insofar as those costs are not covered by the remaining amount from fees referred to in paragraph 4. 8. The Commission shall conclude an agreement with the EIB for the implementation of the EIAH within the EIB (EIAH Agreement). The EIAH Agreement shall contain in particular provisions on the necessary financing of the EIAH in accordance with paragraph 7. 9. By 1 September 2016, and annually thereafter, the EIB shall submit a report to the European Parliament, to the Council and to the Commission with regard to the services provided by the EIAH under paragraph 2 and the execution of its budget. That report shall include information on the fees received and the use thereof.