The success of PPPs across the world has been recognised by major national and international institutions. Many governments are now obtaining financing for PPP projects from organisations such as the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). A large part of the funding from these organisations tends to go into infrastructure-based PPPs, such as transport, water and telecommunications. The OECD has even established a set of 'Principles for Private Sector Participation in Infra-structure' offering assistance to public sector authorities in setting up partnerships,7 and its forthcoming report Infrastructure 2030 notes the growing need to invest in telecommunications, electricity transmission and distribution, and water up to 2030 - suggesting PPPs could be one way of financing this.8
Ireland, Spain and many new EU member states are also using loans from the European Commission and European Bank for Re-Construction and Development (EBRD) to fund projects.