European money for destructive road project in the Czech Republic? No way!

Location through which D8 highway financed by EIB is planned to go

Dear Active Bankwatcher,

European money for destructive road project? No way! Dear Active Bankwatchers, We need your urgent help. The European Investment Bank (EIB) will decide - possible as soon as Monday - whether to loan EU money for a controversial section of motorway linking Prague and Dresden, which would pass through sensitive natural areas.

The Czech government has consistently refused to consider alternative routes, and now is asking for EU taxpayer money to support this poorly-designed project. The road would pass through the Eastern Krusne Hory mountains, a proposed Natura 2000 site, meaning that EU money would be used to undermine EU plans for nature protection. The Czech member organisation of the CEE Bankwatch Network (Friends of the Earth - CZ) has spent 6 years trying to discuss the project's deficiencies with the EIB, but the Bank has refused to discuss “the individual” project with us. More details about the controversial sections of the D8 motorway can be found at:

www.bankwatch.org/issues/transport/transport_downloads/D8_leaflet_eng03.pdf

Please send the letter below today to the EIB’s President and Executive Directors, asking them to reject this badly designed project. Just copy the letter below, sign it, and send it to the email addresses below:

EU Member Countries:

Austria: Executive Director Rill walter.rill@bmf.gv.at Finland: Executive Director Rautala kaarina.rautala@vm.vn.fi Greece: Executive Director Massouras a.eleftheriadou@eib.org Luxembourg: Executive Director Reinesch gaston.reinesch@fi.etat.lu Spain: Executive Director Fernandez de Mesa inigo.fernandez@tesoro.meh.es Executive Director Perez Ribes maria.perez@sscc.mcx.es Sweden: Executive Director Hall tomas.danestad@finance.ministry.se

Belgium: Executive Director Arnoldi jeanpierre.arnoldi@minfin.fed.be Executive Director Regling klaus.regling@cec.eu.int France: Executive Director Pallez stephane.pallez@dt.finances.gouv.fr Executive Director Richard pierre.richard@dexia.com Executive Director Severino lisei@afd.fr Ireland: Executive Director O´Gorman noel.o'gorman@finance.irlgov.ie Netherlands: Executive Director van der Kaaij engelberts@minfin.nl United Kingdom: Executive Director Coleridge b-ireton@dfid.gov.uk Executive Director Ireton sinbadjdc@aol.com Executive Director Kingman

Denmark: Executive Director Rasmussen pbr@oem.dk Germany: Executive Director Matthaus-Maier claudia.holtze@kfw.de Executive Director von Dewitz buero-v@bmwi.bund400.de Executive Director Saupe gerd.saupe@bmf.bund.de Italy: Executive Director Bini Smaghi lorenzo.binismaghi@tesoro.it Executive Director Masera valeria.pinna@sanpaoloimi.com Executive Director Pontolillo pontolillo.vincenzo@insedia.interbusiness.it Portugal: Executive Director Correia Barata ibarata@bportugal.pt

Non-EU Member Countries:

Sample letter

Subject: Approval of EIB loan for controversial section of D8 motorway in the Czech Republic

Dear President/Executive Director,

I understand that the EIB has been approached by the government of the Czech Republic for a loan for constructing a section of the D8 motorway that crosses the Eastern Krusne Hory (section 0807), and that the EIB will soon decide whether or not to approve the loan. If approved, this route would cause serious harm to valuable environmental areas, even though alternatives exist but were ignored by Czech planners. Many citizens in the Czech Republic feel that the government has ignored sensible recommendations made by the public and environmental experts for an alternative route or a road design with less damaging impact. Democracy is still weak here, and people are mistrustful of bureaucrats who seem to wield unchallenged power. A little over a decade after the fall of communism, the promise of participatory democracy is still there - but many people ask themselves 'the politicians have made up their minds, so why bother?'.

I ask you to please not support the D8 motorway at this point. The Czech government had many chances to improve the project. Please consider sending this project back for improvement. Consider the following:

* The Czech Republic's 1999 Strategic EIA (SEA) for its Transport Network Development Masterplan clearly stated that the corridor chosen for the D8 motorway would bring immense harm to the environment and landscape. The SEA experts called either for bypassing the most valuable natural areas or constructing long tunnels under them.

* The EIA for the 0807 section project did not consider alternative proposals for either re-routing the motorway through less environmentally sensitive areas or building longer tunnels that would have less impact on plant and animal habitat.

* The Eastern Krusne Hory mountains are special for EU nature protection. Section 0807 passes across proposed Natura 2000 sites, where SPA sites (special protected bird areas, according to the Bird Directive) can be found. Building the road in its current shape would significantly harm the habitats of several protected bird species.

More information about the project's deficiencies can be found at: www.bankwatch.org/issues/transport/transport_downloads/D8_leaflet_eng03.pdf

Again, reasonable alternative options were available and known to the government, but were ignored. Longer tunnels and better mitigation measures would go a long way to proving that the EU, through the EIB, is dedicated to environmental principles. Please consider the influence EIB decisions have on the permanent character of a country and its environment. I am sure that there will be a lot of pressure to approve this loan, as the Czech Republic has spent much time on planning and preparation. However, in choosing the quick route to completion, we may be doing serious permanent damage.

I would also like to ask you to reconsider your current policy of not discussing projects under evaluation with members of the public or with civic organisations. In the case of the D8 motorway, I understand that many Czech groups have been calling attention to the project's deficiencies for 10 years. If the EIB is to spend money wisely, it needs to be fully informed about the projects it invests in. Other international financial institutions have had positive experiences working with all segments of society.

Sincerely,