COVID-19 set new challenges for the economies in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Strong policy and fiscal support allowed businesses to stay afloat, with firms making long strides in innovation and in becoming global suppliers. This report examines the pandemic's business impact, trade and innovation, green economy and the financial gaps in this region. The report's analysis is based on the EBRD-EIB-WBG Enterprise Survey 2019, covering over 28 000 registered firms, and the first round of the COVID-19 Follow-up Enterprise Surveys, with over 16 000 firms.

About the European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank Group is the EU bank and the world's biggest multilateral lender. We finance sustainable investment in small and medium-sized enterprises, innovation, infrastructure, and climate and environment. We have financed Europe's economic growth for six decades and are at the forefront of EU crisis response, leading the world in climate investment and backing development of the first COVID-19 vaccine. We are committed to triggering €1 trillion in investment in climate and environmental sustainability to combat climate change by the end of this decade. About 10% of all our investment is outside the European Union, where our EIB Global branch supports Europe's neighbours and global development.