Tunisia and the European Investment Bank Strengthen Ties Around a Common Ambition
Building a More Agile, Coherent, and Nationally Anchored Partnership
On Thursday, October 9, in Tunis, the Minister of Economy and Planning, Samir Abdelhafidh, welcomed Ulrich Brunnhuber, Head of the Public Sector - Southern Neighborhood Division at the European Investment Bank (EIB). This working visit is part of a context of revitalizing cooperation between Tunisia and the European institution, on the eve of the new national development plan 2026-2030.
During the meeting, the two parties reviewed the progress of financial and technical cooperation programs. The Minister of Economy emphasized that relations with the EIB are already "exemplary," but now need to be taken to a higher level, adjusting them to the country's priorities for the new planning period.
Abdelhafidh stressed the need to make these programs more flexible, particularly in structuring financing mechanisms, to better respond to economic and social realities on the ground. On the EIB side, Brunnhuber reaffirmed the solidity of current cooperation, while expressing determination to strengthen support, both financially and technically, in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.
Major Stakes of the Partnership by 2026-2030
The challenge is now clear: to integrate the action of the European Investment Bank into Tunisia's new development framework, directing efforts towards sectors with high economic, social, and climate impact. Three strategic axes emerge in this regard:
- Strengthening Infrastructure and Connectivity: Improving roads, transportation, and mobility.
- Supporting the Private Sector and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs): A crucial lever for stimulating job creation, encouraging innovation, and strengthening the national economic fabric's competitiveness.
- Energy Transition and Environmental Resilience: Prioritized areas for both the country's energy sovereignty and its adaptation to climate challenges.
For example, the EIB committed €415 million in 2024 in Tunisia, a amount illustrating the vitality of this partnership. These funds were dedicated to modernizing the Sfax-Kasserine road corridor, supporting SME financing, and targeted actions in the education and energy transition sectors, according to the European Investment Bank.
Cooperation Mechanisms and Challenges to Overcome
However, for this new phase of cooperation to be fully effective, several conditions appear essential:
- Continuous Dialogue: Between Tunisia and the EIB to adjust contractual modalities and offer the Tunisian state greater maneuvering room in project implementation.
- Strategic Consistency: With the 2026-2030 development plan, European financing must align with national priorities, particularly in employment, territorial equity, and sustainable development.
- Joint Steering and Enhanced Monitoring: Of programs to facilitate the lifting of operational, administrative, or technical obstacles often encountered on the ground.
Moreover, mobilizing co-financing and regional partnerships remains a crucial lever for amplifying the impact of interventions. The experience of the "Team Europe" format, bringing together the European Union, the EIB, the French Development Agency (AFD), and the German KfW, illustrates the relevance of a concerted approach.
The Assets of a Solid and Structuring Partnership
Cooperation between Tunisia and the European Union is part of a historical relationship, marked by unique geographical, economic, and human proximity in the Mediterranean. The European Union remains Tunisia's first economic and financial partner, representing nearly two-thirds of its trade exchanges and a substantial share of its direct investments.
Through the EIB, the EU actively supports the modernization of infrastructure, energy transition, and financial inclusion of SMEs, essential pillars of Tunisia's recovery. This partnership is also based on regular political dialogue, technical assistance programs, and targeted budgetary support, which strengthen the country's economic governance and institutional resilience.
The human dimension is not neglected, as Euro-Tunisian cooperation also encourages training, mobility, and skill development for young people, confirming the European commitment to accompanying Tunisia on the path to sustainable and shared development.
Persistent Limits and Margins for Improvement
Despite these advances, Tunisian-European cooperation faces several difficulties:
- Administrative Procedures: Sometimes long and complicated, slowing down project implementation on both the Tunisian and European sides.
- Utilization of Available Financing: Certain sectors struggle to fully use available funds due to a lack of technical means, sufficient skills, or coordination between concerned institutions.
How many times have we heard about already released funds remaining unused due to a lack of ready projects or capable structures to absorb them? As a result, several programs are delayed or have not yet produced the expected effects on the ground.
Beyond these technical aspects, cooperation also suffers from a perceived imbalance in the partnership relationship. For part of the Tunisian public opinion, European financing appears conditioned to political or economic requirements that place Tunisia in a defensive position.
A Shared Ambition for the Future
This Tunisia-EIB meeting testifies to a shared will, on both the Tunisian and European sides, to give new momentum to cooperation in a context of profound economic and environmental transformations. For Tunisia, the challenge is to maximize the impact of EIB financing, making it more flexible, better targeted, and more integrated into its development vision. For the EIB, it involves confirming its role as a long-term partner and evolving its mechanisms to better accompany a country in transition.
The coming months will be decisive. Beyond official statements, it will now be a matter of giving substance to this common ambition, translating dialogue into tangible achievements. Structuring projects, realistic calendars, and shared governance must embody this new dynamic, so that the 2026-2030 cycle is not just an additional step but a decisive turning point in the partnership between Tunisia and the EIB. A partnership called upon to reinvent itself in action, trust, and duration.
