BELFIUS SMART CITIES AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The Project involves the financing through a Framework Loan of a series of municipal investments around the notion of “smart cities & sustainable development” in Belgium, and notably in the domains of sustainable urban regeneration, renewable energy, energy efficiency and mobility to be carried out by local authorities or utilities or other entities providing services to local authorities over the period 2014-2017 for a total investment amount in excess of EUR 400m.

The project supports an innovative approach by a number of Belgian municipalities of the concept of “smart cities & sustainable development”, underpinning investments carried out mainly at city/regional level with the common purpose of improving energy efficiency, mobility and urban regeneration.

The schemes implemented under the Framework Loan should have an overall positive impact on the environment, by reducing energy consumption, increasing the use of renewable energies, promoting sustainable urban development, and reducing emissions from car use by favouring urban public transport. Some of the schemes may, however, fall under Annex I or Annex II of the 2011/92/EU Directive, or be located in areas forming part of the Natura 2000 network (falling under the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC or Birds Directive 79/409/EEC). The Bank will assess the promoter’s capacity and procedures to ensure compliance with national and European environmental and biodiversity regulations.

The Bank will require the Promoter to ensure that contracts for the implementation of the project have been/shall be tendered in accordance with the relevant applicable EU procurement legislation (Dir. 2004/18/EC or 2004/17/EC and Dir. 2007/66/EC [amending Directives 1989/665/EEC and 1992/13/EEC]), with publication of tender notices in the EU Official Journal, as and where required. In some cases schemes may be developed by private entities which are not subject to the EU procurement directives.