* Admissibility date reflects the date the case was officially registered. All other dates pertain to the date in which a stage was completed.
Case Description
In January 2025, the EIB Group Complaints Mechanism (EIB-CM) of the European Investment Bank (the EIB or the Bank) received a complaint concerning the sub-projects E60 Chumateleti - Khevi (section F1) and E-60 Ubisa - Shorapani (section F3) under the Georgia Transport Connectivity Project (the project).
The complaint was submitted jointly by Green Alternative and CEE Bankwatch Network, two civil society organisations (CSOs). The complainants allege non-compliances with the relevant Environmental & Social (E&S) standards, policies and procedures of the EIB. The complaint alleges deficiency in the assessment and management of E&S impacts and risks, in particular with regard to the consideration of viable alternatives, risks of landslides, waste management and stockpiling, hydrological risks, health and safety and disaster risk management, negative economic impact on local communities and accessibility issues.
Based on a review of the allegations against the EIB-CM Policy admissibility criteria, some allegations are defined as not admissible in line with 4.3.10 of the EIB-CM Policy. The inadmissible allegations are those about: i) gaps in the public Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), including baseline studies (such as hydrology studies), related to sections F1 and F3 of the project and; slope stability works in section F3, completed in October 2023.
Following the initial assessment, the EIB-CM decided to proceed with a compliance review of the remaining allegations regarding the sub-projects' non-compliance, during the construction, with the EIB E&S standards (which are a continuous obligation) and with mitigation measures defined in the ESIA. The complainants have also engaged with the EIB to share information on the E&S challenges verified during construction and the complaint further alleges lack of adequate monitoring by the Bank in view of the issues and information shared. The enquiry will assess the project’s, and more particularly the sub-projects’, compliance with the EIB E&S standards and the appraisal and monitoring by the Bank in relation to the allegations raised.