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An EU-backed programme enabling the European Investment Bank to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ukraine and other countries that have signed an Association Agreement with the Union was launched in Kyiv today.
The goal of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) Initiative East is to strengthen economic development in the target countries by providing financial and technical support to SMEs.
The EIB Group has joined forces with the EU’s Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) to provide a comprehensive package of instruments designed to help companies in Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia make the most of the opportunities arising from the implementation of their free trade agreements with the EU, which involve the progressive removal of barriers to trade and the alignment of standards with those of the EU.
The EU contribution forms part of the European Commission’s wider EU4Business initiative, which brings together EU-funded programmes supporting SME development and improving the business environment in the Eastern Partnership region.