European Development Finance Institutions
Budget
€700 — €0
EP Access
1
accredited persons
Staff
6
3.75 FTE
EU Grants
None
Mission & Goals
EDFI represents 15 development finance institutions based in Europe. Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) are specialised development organisations that are publicly-backed by national states. DFIs invest in private sector projects in low and middle-income countries to promote job creation and sustainable economic growth. They apply stringent investment criteria aimed at safeguarding financial sustainability, transparency, and environmental and social accountability. Today, EDFI has 15 member organisations in 14 European states (11 EU member states, plus Norway, Switzerland and UK). EDFI's mission is to promote members’ professional networks, inform policy, and drive innovation in industry standards.
EU Legislative Interests
As the primary impact institutional investors in the European Financial Architecture for Development, European DFIs are a central piece and key partners to the EU in achieving its external action objectives, particularly through the DFIs alignment with the top EU policy strategy (i.e. Global Gateway through EFSD+ implementation but also via DFIs own investments). With development cooperation becoming increasingly intertwined with security and geopolitical interests, such as securing raw materials and managing migration flows, DFIs also follow the CRM agenda and respond to the new MFF policy priorities (i.e. Ukraine, etc). EDFI and its members are currently following capital requirements regulation II and III, EU alternative investment fund managers directive review, EU Tax policy, EU Sustainable Finance Package, EU Financial Regulation and Climate/Infrastructure finance, Ukraine Facility (Pillar II).
Communication Activities
During the reporting period the EDFI association has released publications, conducted media relations efforts, and held high-profile events. Events included the EDFI-ODI Europe seminar exploring the scale of institutional investment in emerging markets. Notable collaborations include the Team Europe Hackathon, which drew together multiple stakeholders. A major session at Finance in Common 2025 highlighting coordinated European action. Policy communications included a statement on the EU’s Multilateral Financial Framework. Publications include the EDFI annual report, a separate report with IIGCC on bridging investment gaps in EMDEs, as well as an editorial partnerships with French DFI Proparco’s Private Sector & Development magazine. For media relations, two separate opinion pieces in Devex, calling for sector reform and stronger mobilisation of capital, particularly around major summits like FfD4 in Seville. List of EDFI Association communications activities : - Publication: EDFI Annual Report – article on European Sustainable Finance Regulatory Framework - Event: EDFI – ODI Europe seminar ‘Trillions or billions? Reassessing the potential for European institutional investment in emerging markets and developing economies’ (November 2024) - Event at Finance in Common 2025: ‘Team Europe in Action for Sustainable Finance and Market Creation' (February 2025) - Paper: 'Bridging the Investment Gap–Institutional Investor Capital and EMDEs' published by IIGCC and co-authored by EDFI (May 2025) - Opinion Piece in Devex: ‘International development’s moment of reckoning’ (March 2025) - Team Europe Hackathon: Co-funded by EU. Joined up with Practitioners' Network for European Development Cooperation’ and the Joint European Financers for International Cooperation (March 2025) - Publication: Editorial collaboration on DFI Proparco magazine Private Sector & Development, titled ‘European development finance institutions: strategic players in changing times’ (May 2O25) - Statement: EU Multilateral Financial Framework (May 2025) - Event at FfD4 in Seville with GSG Impact: ‘Systemic barriers to private capital mobilisation in EMDEs at scale’ (July 2025) - Opinion Piece in Devex: ‘In Sevilla, a moment to bridge the development finance chasm’ (July 2025)
Interests Represented
Promotes their own interests or the collective interests of their members
Member Of
Friends of Europe, Forum Europa
Organisation Members
https://edfi.eu/our-impact/ 1. BIO: Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries 2. CDC Group plc 3. COFIDES: Compañía Española de Financiación del Desarrollo S.A. 4. DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH 5. FINNFUND: Teollisen yhteistyön rahasto Oy 6. FMO: Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V. 7. IFU: Danish International Investment Funds 8. NORFUND: Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries 9. OeEB: Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG 10. PROPARCO: Société de Promotion et de Participation pour la Coopération Economique 11. SIFEM: Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets 12. SIMEST: Società Italiana per le Imprese all’Estero SpA 13. CDP: Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SpA 14. SOFID: Sociedade para o Financiamento do Desenvolvimento, Instituição Financeira de Crédito, SA 15. SWEDFUND: Swedfund International AB
Additional Information
N/A
Commissioner Meetings
No recorded meetings with EU commissioners.