(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, OCTBER 18 - European Commission backed the first Erasmus + agreement to guarantee loans to university masters students in Croatia. The deal, worth 600 thousand euros, was signed by the European Investment Fund (EIF) and Privredna Banka Zagreb (PBZ, Intesa San Paolo group), under the Erasmus+ Master Loan Guarantee Scheme. Starting from 1st January 2019, Croatian students attending a university master's degree in one of the other 32 countries participating in Erasmus+ programme could aks for loans at favourable conditions. "Erasmus+ loan guarantee agreements are key to make studying abroad the norm for all European students, no matter what their country of origin or financial situation at home is," EU Commissioner for Education Tibor Navracsics said. The Erasmus+ Master Degree Loan Guarantee Scheme has been running since June 2015, with banks and higher education institutions in six countries now participating (Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Turkey and Croatia. (ANSA).