In this article, the author explains how the European Investment Bank (EIB) contributes, in ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries, not only to the development of the public sector by financing major infrastructure projects, but also to the development of the private sector. Typically, EIB operations in support of the private sector consist of lines of credit for small and medium enterprises, allocated through local banks. In this way, the EIB participates in a structured process of cooperation and competition in which the public sector and the private sector complement each other.