Background
As part of its ongoing dialogue with civil society, EIB invited NGOs for a one-day workshop in London on The EIB, Development and the Environment. The London Workshop was the first in a series of regional meetings the Bank will be holding with NGOs in different locations in the European Union, as well as outside. On 28 June 2001, the Bank organized a Debate with NGOs on its information policy in Brussels.
Programme
The programme had been established in co-operation with participating NGOs. Each subject was introduced by a member of EIB staff and an NGO representative.
The morning session dealt with Development, focusing on EIB's role under the Cotonou Agreement, in general, and its contribution to poverty alleviation, and the Bank's activities in the Balkans. Two topical environmental issues were tackled in the afternoon: EIB's contribution to the climate change policy of the EU and its role in biodiversity conservation.
NGOs distributed a statement on European Investment Bank: Necessary Areas of Reform.
A special item, within the context of biodiversity conservation, was the protection of whales and dolphins, introduced by WDCS (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society).
Participants
Participants included over fifteen NGOs and some observers. Among the observers was a representative of the Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities, which has a role in strengthening the dialogue between EU institutions and NGOs. The workshop was chaired by EIB Vice-President Peter Sedgwick. Two Members of the Bank's Board of Directors also participated, Tony Faint (Director, International Division, Department for International Development, United Kingdom) and Lars Tybjerg (Direktør I Økonomi- og Erhvervsministeriet, Denmark).
Further steps
- EIB will cooperate with the Economic and Social Committee in its work to strengthen the dialogue between NGOs and EU institutions
- EIB will continue discussions with NGOs to explore climate change and poverty alleviation issues
- EIB will organise further regional workshops with NGOs and has provisionally planned the first for late Spring 2002, possibly in Scandinavia
- EIB will invite Members of its Board of Directors to participate in workshops it organizes with NGOs.
More information
Workshop presentations by EIB speakers and the NGO statement European Investment Bank: Necessary Areas of Reform can be ordered through mailbox infopol@eib.org.
Key documents on the Bank's environmental policy, that is to say its Environmental Policy Statement and papers on climate change and sustainable development can be found on this website. The Bank's activities in the ACP countries are outlined in the brochure Financing in the ACP Countries and information on its project cycle in the brochure The Project Cycle at the European Investment Bank.