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    Background

    As part of a series van regionally organized meetings with NGOs, EIB held a Workshop for NGOs in Copenhagen on 28 June 2002. The NGO Workshops contribute to the Bank's dialogue with civil society 

    Programme

    The programme included three topics: Sustainable development issues related to the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development; Cleaning up the Baltic Sea; EIB's information and public disclosure policy. The agenda was drawn up in co-operation with interested NGOs.

    Presentations

    Each subject was introduced by an EIB staff member, an NGO representative and, on the Baltic Sea, a representative of the Nordic Investment Bank. 

    On sustainable development, Dennis Pamlin (Global Policy Advisor of WWF Sweden) gave a rundown of the sustainability challenges facing, firstly, the European Union, secondly, the financial sector and, thirdly, the EIB. He ended with two sets of recommendations for EIB, the first one highlighting its potential role in financial markets to make actors more environment-conscious and the second one on the Bank's role in the areas of climate change and biodiversity. Peter Carter (Environmental Coordinator, Projects Directorate, EIB) addressed climate change and social development issues linked to the Johannesburg Summit's agenda. His presentation on social development in EU partner countries included social assessment elements.

    José Frade (Head of Division Water, Sewerage and Sewage Disposal, Projects Directorate, EIB) presented the Bank's activity in the water sector. He also gave a concise overview of the European Union's Water Initiative for Johannesburg. 

    On Cleaning Up the Baltic Sea, Roland Randefelt (Senior Environmental Analyst, Nordic Investment Bank) gave his views on the role of the NIB and other International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in this area. Grammatiki Tsingou-Papadopetrou (Associate Director, Baltic States and Poland, Directorate for Lending Operations, EIB) highlighted the Bank's lending in Poland, the Baltic States, Russia (St Petersburg and Kaliningrad) as well as the Nordic Countries and Denmark. Peep Mardiste (Friends of the Earth Estonia) commented on EIB's lending in the transport sector in the Baltic region, using elements from a HELCOM report titled Implementation of Guidelines for Environmentally Sustainable Transportation Investment Decision-Making in the Baltic Sea Region (2000). He invited EIB to implement HELCOM's recent recommendations for IFIs based on the report.

    On EIB's information and public disclosure policy, Adam McDonaugh (Head of Division Communications Policy, EIB) stressed the fact that the Bank regards its information policy as an evolving and flexible process, subject to continuous evaluation and quality assessment. EIB will publish its reviewed information policy and Rules on Public Access to Documents in the second half of the year, taking account of the spirit and limits of the new EU Regulation EC/1049/2001. The Bank is not directly covered by the Regulation, which addresses the three legislative bodies of the Union. However, EIB has responded positively to their call on other EU institutions and bodies to review their rules in the light of the Regulation. Martin Koehler (Director of Programme, Reform the World Bank Campaign) demanded a formalization of the EIB's policy review process with clear timelines on publishing drafts, and the status of such drafts in the Bank's decisions making process. He looked forward to the Bank applying the principles of the Aarhus Convention, which he believed will cover the Bank's activities, when if comes into effect. 

    Participants

    Participants included notably delegates from environmental NGOs from the region. Observers from the European Parliament and the Department for International Development (United Kingdom) participated as well. 

    EIB Vice-President Peter Sedgwick chaired the meeting, while Lars Tybjerg, Member of the EIB Board of Directors for Denmark, opened the discussions. 

    Next NGO Workshop

    The next NGO Workshop is scheduled for Autumn 2002 and will be held in the south of Europe. The agenda will deal with Mediterranean and Balkan subjects. 


    Time Programme
    09.00 Welcome by Lars TYBJERG, Member of the EIB Board of Directors for Denmark
    09:15  Environmental and development issues related to the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development

    Introductions on environmental issues by

    • Peter CARTER, Environmental Coordinator, Projects Directorate, EIB

    • Dennis PAMLIN, Global Policy Advisor, WWF-Sweden

    • José FRADE, Head of Division Water, Sewerage and Sewage Disposal, Projects Directorate, EIB

    Introduction on social development outside Europe, including social assessment by
    • Peter CARTER, Environmental Coordinator, Projects Directorate, EIB
    10:45  Break
    11:00 Discussions
    12:00 Lunch
    13:00 Cleaning up the Baltic Sea

    Introductions by

    • Roland RANDEFELT, Senior Environmental Analyst, Nordic Investment Bank

    • Grammatiki TSINGOU-PAPADOPETROU, Associate Director, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Euratom, Directorate for Lending Operations - Europe, EIB

    • Peep MARDISTE, Friends of the Earth - Estonia

    14:00  Discussions
    14:30 EIB's information and public disclosure policy
    Introduction by
    • Adam MCDONAUGH, Head of Division Communications Policy, Information and Communications Department, EIB

    Intervention by Martin KOEHLER, Director of Programme, Reform the World Bank Campaign

    Discussions

    15:00 Closing and wrapping up by the Chairman Peter SEDGWICK