According to the EIB’s report published on Monday, France and Spain were the top two recipients, receiving €5.8 billion and €4.9 billion, respectively, while Italy ranked fourth with over €4.1 billion.

Of the €4.2 billion that Poland received under the EU Cohesion Policy, €127 million went to the southern Polish city of Kraków, with the aim of improving infrastructure and public spaces. The funds will also be used to revitalize neglected neighborhoods, protect cultural heritage sites, and invest in green spaces, parks and recreational facilities.

The EU’s Cohesion Policy focuses on supporting the development of less developed regions, where the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is below 75% of the EU average, and transition regions, where the GDP per capita stands between 75% and 100%.

There are 145 such regions throughout the bloc, with the less developed ones located mainly in the countries of Central Europe and in Portugal, Greece and southern parts of Italy and Spain.

Meanwhile, former industrial areas located in richer EU countries, such as France and the Netherlands, are most often classified as transition regions.

In seven member states - Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Latvia and Malta - all regions are classified as either less developed or transition regions, requiring loans for economic development.

Poland is among countries where more than 60% of regions require support, along with the Czech Republic, Hungary, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia.

Luxembourg is the only country in the EU whose regions require no support at all.