CEB posts strong half-year 2026 results, boosting support for member countries | Report

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) released its Half-year Financial Report 2026 on 20 October 2026 in Paris, presenting unaudited interim financial statements prepared in compliance with International Accounting Standard 34 Interim Financial Reporting, according to a press release. The results reflect the Bank’s financial soundness, the high social value of its operations, and its commitment to fostering social cohesion. The report confirms CEB’s continued role as Europe’s social development bank of choice.

CEB is a multilateral development bank with an exclusively social mandate from its 43 member countries. It finances investment projects and provides technical assistance in sectors such as education, health, and affordable housing, focusing on vulnerable people and the social dimensions of climate change and the environment. Borrowers include governments, local and regional authorities, public and private banks, and non-profit organisations. The Bank holds a triple-A credit rating and funds itself through international capital markets, complemented by donor contributions.

As at 30 June 2026, net profit reached €70.1 million, up 19.4% compared to the first half of 2025, while core earnings rose by 7.5% to €70.0 million. The interest margin grew by 7.0%, or €6.8 million, driven by higher interest income from investments in long-term securities measured at amortised cost. The total balance sheet reached €43.0 billion at the end of June 2026, up 10.0% from €39.0 billion at the end of 2025. Total loans outstanding rose to €24.0 billion, compared to €23.6 billion at year-end 2025.

During the first six months of 2026, new projects approved amounted to €2.5 billion, while loans disbursed reached €1.7 billion. The stock of projects approved and awaiting financing stood at €10.0 billion, compared to €9.4 billion as at 31 December 2025. Equity stood at €4.9 billion as at 30 June 2026, up 1.0% on the prior year. The Bank maintained its prudent risk management policy, with risk appetite ratios remaining within approved limits and no default or late payments recorded from counterparties during the reporting period.

Supported by a strengthened capital base following its seventh capital increase, the CEB continued steady implementation of its 2023–2027 Strategic Framework. The Bank deepened its support for member countries as they address pressing development challenges. The two elements outside core earnings — financial instrument valuations and the cost of risk — showed an almost neutral net impact in the income statement during the first half of 2026, compared to a negative net impact in the first half of 2025. The interim results reinforce CEB’s position in a global landscape marked by geopolitical and financial pressures.