The EU as a borrower – investor relations

The European Commission is empowered by the EU Treaty to borrow from the international capital markets, on behalf of the European Union. It is a well-established name in debt securities markets with a strong track record of successful bond issuances over the past 40 years. These bond transactions are denominated exclusively in euro.

The European Commission issues bonds to finance loans to EU and third countries under four programmes. This includes the up to €100 billion SURE programme to support jobs and keep people in work.

The European Commission will also issue bonds to finance NextGenerationEU to repair the economic and social damage brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, and make Europe greener, more digital, more resilient.

Under NextGenerationEU, the Commission will raise up to around €800 billion in current prices – 5% of EU GDP – through funding operations on international capital markets in the years 2021-2026.