European Parliament intergroup ITCO condemns new transparency policy of the European Investment Bank
March 13, 2015
The 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.
European Ombudsman hammers EIB over Bosnian bridge maladministration
December 2, 2014
An unprecedented ruling and serious tough talking emanated from the European Ombudsman at the end of October following an investigation into the EIB’s involvement with a bridge construction project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Describing the approach taken by the EIB in the case as “wholly unacceptable”, the Ombudsman’s conclusion pulled no punches in asserting that the bank’s “maladministration risks putting into question the European Union’s commitment to strengthening the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
Flood impacts kept secret by hydropower plant constructor in Georgia
October 6, 2014
Georgian Urban Energy (GUE), the company in charge of constructing the Paravani hydropower plant (HPP), has been keeping secret a study on the potential flooding risks associated with the facility, despite requests and promises from the EBRD that such an analysis would be made public.
Corporate interest on way to win over the EU bank’s transparency policy
September 10, 2014
In the draft version of its new transparency policy the European Investment Bank is making access to information on its tens of billion euros lending harder than ever.
Civil society recommendations for the European Investment Bank’s transparency policy
July 1, 2014
As the EIB prepares the review of its 2010 transparency policy, the signatories of this letter convey key positions and concerns regarding the policy and how we believe it needs to be amended.
Comments on Project Complaint Mechanism Draft Rules of Procedure
March 6, 2014
The EBRD’s Project Complaint Mechanism’s Rules of Procedure (PCM) are part of the bank’s good governance policies which are all being revised in the beginning of 2014. In addition to these comments on the PCM here, Bankwatch has prepared comments to the good governance policies (pdf) in general separately.
Comments on the EBRD’s good governance policies drafts
March 6, 2014
The EBRD’s good governance policies include the Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), the Public Information Policy (PIP) and the Project Complaint Mechanism’s Rules of Procedure (PCM). Bankwatch has also submitted separate comments on the draft Rules of Procedure for the PCM.
EIB commits to review tax haven policy
February 14, 2014
During the annual meeting between civil society and the EIB’s Board of Directors, the European Investment Bank committed to review its outdated tax haven policy this year. The commitment which followed a letter from several NGOs expressing such demand, is the most concrete outcome of the meeting which took place on 3rd February in the bank’s headquarters in Luxemburg.
Georgian hydro projects are a test case for the EBRD’s good governance policies
February 12, 2014
As activists pointed out at a consultation meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia’s hydropower sector has plenty of lessons to be learned by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Ukraine and the EBRD: More than technicalities derail the fight against corruption
February 6, 2014
Before claiming the moral high ground on fighting corruption in Ukraine, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development should first of all brush up its own transparency policy and drop old-fashioned arguments in favour of confidentiality and secret conditionalities in its projects.
