ELTI 2026 General Assembly in Ljubljana: European Promotional Institutions Discuss Strategic Priorities for the Next EU Budget
Ljubljana, 25 September 2026 – The 14th ELTI General Assembly (European Long-Term Investors Association) concluded today in Ljubljana.
Since 2023, the Association has been chaired by Dario Scannapieco, Chief Executive Officer of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP). Discussions focused on the challenges facing the European Union, ranging from housing and energy to security and defence, as well as the role of European Promotional Institutions under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034.
The Assembly opened with the announcement of a new associate member, Slovenian Sovereign Holding, and the official introduction of Simon Rooze as the Association's new Secretary General, effective from 1 October.
The discussions then focused on challenges that extend beyond the scope of individual Member States and with which the Association has long been engaged. These include housing, which ELTI believes should become a strategic priority of the next EU budget, as well as security and defence, where cooperation among members has steadily expanded, alongside energy and the Savings and Investments Union.
To support these objectives, the Association can rely on substantial financial capacity. In 2025, the combined balance sheet of its members amounted to approximately €3 trillion, while new financing commitments exceeded €345 billion, an increase compared with 2024. Of this amount, more than €92 billion was devoted to sustainable finance.
Against this backdrop, ELTI presented its proposals for the next EU budget during the panel entitled "Maximizing the Impact of the Multiannual Financial Framework". In his introductory remarks, President Dario Scannapieco welcomed the European Commission's proposal for the next
Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, particularly the decision to maintain the principle of an "open architecture", which allows National Promotional Institutions to access EU budget resources directly alongside the EIB Group.
Building on this foundation, ELTI identified three key priorities. The first concerns scale: together with the EIB Group, the Association calls for the minimum size of the InvestEU guarantee to be increased to at least €40 billion, compared with the €11 billion currently proposed by the Commission. The second relates to the predictability of programming, which should remain stable and long term. The third concerns continuity and simplification in implementation, leveraging existing InvestEU agreements to avoid delays during the transition to the new Multiannual Financial Framework.
Dario Scannapieco, ELTI President and Chief Executive Officer of CDP, said: "The major challenges Europe faces today, from housing and energy to security and defence, require a common response and an investment capacity commensurate with their scale. In this context, ELTI plays an increasingly important role in coordinating the actions of European Promotional Institutions in support of the Union's priorities. The next Multiannual Financial Framework will be crucial for strengthening competitiveness and growth. Ensuring adequate resources, stable long-term programming and the continuity of instruments that have already proven their effectiveness is therefore essential."
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ABOUT ELTI
ELTI brings together 34 long-term investors from 23 EU Member States, two candidate countries (Montenegro and Türkiye) and two international financial institutions (the Council of Europe Development Bank and the Nordic Investment Bank). The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group
holds the status of permanent observer within the Association. Since 2023, ELTI has been chaired by Dario Scannapieco, Chief Executive Officer of CDP.
ELTI's mission is to promote long-term investment in close alignment with the objectives and initiatives developed by the European Union to foster sustainable, smart and inclusive growth, while supporting job creation.