General Mandate objectives
Article 3
1. The EU guarantee shall be granted for EIB financing operations which support any of the following general objectives: (a) local private sector development, in particular support to SMEs; (b) development of social and economic infrastructure, including transport, energy, environmental infrastructure, and information and communication technology; (c) climate change mitigation and adaptation, as referred to in Article 2(4). 2. Within the core competences of the EIB, its financing operations carried out under this Decision shall contribute to the general principles guiding Union external action, as referred to in Article 21 TEU and shall contribute to the implementation of international environmental agreements to which the Union is a party. 3. Regional integration among partner countries, including economic integration between pre-accession countries, neighbourhood countries and the Union, shall be an underlying objective for EIB financing operations within areas covered by the general objectives listed in paragraph 1. 4. The EIB shall consider increasing its activity in support of health and education infrastructure when there is clear added value in doing so.