By letter of 2 March 2007, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland nominated Ms Tamsyn Barton (Head of the European Union Department of DFID, the Department for International Development) for appointment as alternate member of the EIB's Board of Directors to replace Ms Catriona Laing, who has resigned.

On 8 March 2007, the Governors of the EIB were invited by written procedure to vote on the proposed appointment.

The decision to appoint Ms Tamsyn Barton was taken on 30 March 2007, the date on which the Bank received the requisite majority of votes in favour from the Governors.

Ms Tamsyn Barton has been appointed for the remainder of her predecessor’s term of office, which will expire in 2008 at the end of the day of the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors during which the annual report, balance sheet and profit and loss account for the 2007 financial year are examined.