Thanks to its excellent rating, the Bank raises its funds in the international capital markets on the best possible terms, thus enabling its borrowers to significantly reduce the cost of their resources for financing social projects.

Means of action

Sectoral lines of action The CEB contributes to the implementation of socially oriented investment projects in favour of social cohesion in Europe through three sectoral lines of action, namely:
	Strengthening social integration For the CEB, to contribute to strengthening social integration and thus to attack the roots of exclusion means, at operational level, acting in favour of refugees, migrants and displaced persons, promoting social housing, job creation and preservation and improving living conditions in urban and rural areas.
	Managing the environment To contribute to managing the environment means not only systematically responding to emergency situations in the event of natural or ecological disasters, but also promoting protection of the environment and preservation of historic and cultural heritage.
	Supporting public infrastructure with a social vocation Supporting the development of public infrastructure with a social vocation in the key sectors of health, education, vocational training and administrative and judicial public services in the long term facilitates more dynamic and more equitable economic and social growth promoting individual fulfilment and collective wellbeing.

Each of these lines of action comprises the following sectors of action:

Sectoral lines of action	Sectors of action
Strengthening social integration	Aid to refugees, migrants and displaced persons Housing for low-income persons Creation and preservation of viable jobs Improvement of living conditions in urban and rural areas
Managing the environment	Natural or ecological disasters Protection of the environment Protection and rehabilitation of historic and cultural heritage
Supporting public infrastructure with a social vocation	Health Education and vocational training Infrastructure of administrative and judicial public services

This approach corresponds to a twofold requirement: on the one hand, to ensure better readability of the Bank’s activity by homogeneously grouping together its eligible sectors and, on the other hand, to reaffirm the CEB's mission in favour of sustainable social development.

Borrowing from the CEB

The CEB can grant loans (but not subsidies) to its 40 Member States to finance projects corresponding to a certain number of sectoral, geographic, social and financial criteria defined in the Bank’s Articles of Agreement and Policy for loan and project financing.

Potential borrowers (Governments, local or regional authorities as well as public or private financial institutions) prepare their loan requests in close collaboration with the Bank’s services. Although the borrowers are generally the beneficiaries of the financings, they can also act as project promoters on behalf of one or several final beneficiaries. The CEB does not finance directly individual persons. The Bank evaluates the debt sustainability of the borrower and, where necessary, of the guarantor.

On the basis of the loan request formulated by the borrower, the Bank evaluates the project and its financing plan. To do this, a careful analysis is performed of the socio-economic impact, technical aspects, costs, institutional and management capacity of the project as well as of its effects on the environment.

The loan request is then submitted to the Administrative Council for approval.

Methods of financing and monitoring of projects

Once the project has been approved by the Administrative Council, a framework loan agreement is signed with the borrower.

The CEB pays particular attention to the quality of the projects it finances, with a view to optimising their social impact. Therefore assistance and monitoring throughout the whole project cycle constitute key factors in the effective implementation of these projects.

Once the project’s financing has started, the Bank’s services carry out regular monitoring and on-site visits in order to verify the physical progress of the works, compliance with costs, implementation of procurement procedures and achievement of the anticipated social objectives. A completion report is drawn up when the project is concluded.