In July, the European Investment Bank looked to address the demand for socially responsible investments by launching the largest ever euro-denominated green bond using the bank's mini-benchmark programme, ECoop. Its green thinking proved to be clever thinking, when the initial deal size had to be increased to satisfy demand.
At the beginning of 2013, Greek telecoms group OTE launched a €700m bond issue. The largest corporate debt transaction from a Greek borrower since the sovereign debt crisis erupted in 2010, the deal’s success offered stark proof of changing sentiment towards peripheral Europe.