In 2000, the EIB also provided new loans for European Telecommunication networks, but not covered by the TEN Telecommunications guidelines, with EUR 1580 million of new loan approvals and EUR 2211 million of signatures (EUR 2126 million in 1999).

The UK maintained that the Commission’s reference interest rates were not a valid comparator for the rates on the 2001 loan, in particular because the Commission’s rates are based on five year maturity dates and the loan in question consisted of long-term debt with a range of maturity dates between 20 and 25 years, because the loan advanced to Royal Mail reflected commercial rates available to similarly positioned long-term borrowers, and because the UK yield curve in 1999-2000 (the relevant period for calculating interest) was moving downwards making corporate borrowing cheaper.

The main recipient sectors in accession countries are transport, environment and energy, which together accounted for 90% of individual lending over the period 2000 to 2002, though support for education and training showed the largest rise (an increase of three times in 2002 compared with 2001).

Examples of loans approved in 2000 are the PBKAL sections in Belgium and the Netherlands, the TGV Est in France and the Greek motorways (Peripheral Road of Attica (E.S.S.I), Egnatia Central, Thessaloniki East Orbital, PATHE (Katerini)).

In 2001, the EIB also provided new loans for EU telecommunication networks, with approvals to a value of EUR 1 241 million (EUR 1 580 million in 2000) and EUR 994 million of signed loans (EUR 2 211 million in 2000).

At the request of the Hungarian government, the EIB approved two framework loans in December 2000, one for each sector, for the projects approved in 2000 to complement ISPA co-financing.