“Fight tax havens, start with the European Investment Bank”, argues new report
Press release | 21 April, 2015Counter Balance & Re:Common press release The European Investment Bank (EIB) was the first Development Financial Institution (DFI) to adopt a tax haven policy in 2009. However, more than five years on EIB money still runs via tax havens. A new report by Counter Balance and Re:Common* ‘Towards a Responsible Taxation Policy for the EIB’ which is launched today calls on the EU’s public bank to grasp the political momentum at EU level to prevent any public money from flowing through tax havens. Country by country reporting, identification of beneficial ownership and a workable list of non-compliant jurisdictions would be key ingredients of a real “Responsible Taxation Policy”.
Read moreParliament presses for more scrutiny of EU Investment Plan but guts green prospects
Press release | 20 April, 2015BRUSSELS – MEPs ditch ring fencing for energy savings but demand more democratic oversight over the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) that has been setup to implement Commission President Juncker’s economic recovery plan.
Read moreLetter to European Commission: Request for information on EIB’s involvement in the Transadriatic Pipeline (TAP)
Publication | 9 April, 2015Given the size of the Southern Gas Corridor project it is important that its effects on the environment and especially nearby Natura 2000 sites are duely accessed and that the necessary time to conduct public consultation both in the EU-28 countries and outside of the EU-28 as indicated to the Commission during various meetings related to the second list of PCIs preparation.
Read moreDevelopment Banks Urged to Review Support for Mekong Dams, 10 Years After Nam Theun 2
Press release | 1 April, 2015Amsterdam/Bangkok/Manila/Prague/Tokyo – Non-governmental organizations are calling on the World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB) and European Investment Bank (EIB) to publicly acknowledge the millions of dollars of failed investment in their flagship project, Nam Theun 2. This 1070 MW dam has failed to bring intended development benefits, and instead has unleashed a range of negative impacts on the affected populations in central Laos.
Read moreInput to EIB climate policy consultation
Publication | 16 March, 2015The comments were jointly submitted by Bankwatch, Counter Balance, Focus, urgewald, Both Ends, Estonian Green Movement, Transport and Environment, CEPA Slovakia and Latvian Green Movement.
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European Parliament intergroup ITCO condemns new transparency policy of the European Investment Bank
Blog entry | 13 March, 2015The European Investment Bank’s slide towards secrecy, manifest in its newly adopted transparency policy, has been lambasted by the intergroup of the European Parliament responsible for transparency and corruption.
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EIB’s new transparency policy allows for more secrecy
Press release | 11 March, 2015Brussels – Yesterday the European Investment Bank (EIB) formally adopted a revised transparency policy including controversial exceptions to the disclosure of internal documents. This watered down transparency policy comes right before the bank will start implementing the € 315 billion Juncker plan and risks undermining the impact of EU recovery efforts.
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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: An Energy Union torn between clean energy and fossil fuels
Press release | 24 February, 2015Brussels – The vision of Energy Union to be outlined by the European Commission tomorrow proposes making Europe a world leader in renewables and energy efficiency, but at the same time envisages significant investments undermining that goal, such as gas import infrastructure, nuclear and dirty unconventional fossil fuels.
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EU priority gas pipeline faces fierce opposition in Italy
Blog entry | 17 February, 2015The European Investment Bank recently confirmed plans to finance the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline from Greece via Albania to Italy. Yet a coalition of local mayors will do whatever it takes to stop the project.
Read moreEuropean Fund for Strategic Investments: focus on low carbon, clean energy and resource efficiency investments
Publication | 16 February, 2015The European Commission President Juncker’s ‘Investment plan for growth and jobs’ is aiming at mobilising EUR 315 billion of additional investments by 2018. A proposed regulation setting up the framework of the EFSI is currently negotiated in the European Parliament and the Council and its adoption is envisaged for June 2015. This briefing, prepared by Bankwatch, Counter Balance, Friends of the Earth Europe and WWF Europe stresses that this regulation should give clarity on how the fund will contribute to the achievement of EU long-term objectives, its added-value for the EU and the expected benefits for European citizens: all projects benefiting from the fund should explicitly accelerate the transition of Europe’s economies, infrastructure investments should aim at the decarbonisation, decentralization and decrease of energy and transport systems, R&D focusing on the absolute decoupling of resource use and production.
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