The European Investment Bank announced, on 11 January, that it would extend its help to Croatia through JASPER (Joint Assistance to Support Projects in European Regions), a technical assistance partnership between the EIB, the Commission and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau. The terms of the technical assistance were formalised in an agreement signed between the Commission and the EIB on 22 December 2011. “Both the EIB and the Commission recognise the importance of preparing a pipeline of good quality projects well in advance of Croatia’s full EU membership, which is scheduled for 2013,” said Werner Hoyer, president of the EIB.