The European Investment Bank Group has published its annual Ethics and Integrity Report which provides a complete overview of complaints, investigations, and follow-up to misconduct cases at the EIB Group in 2025.
In 2025, 50 new complaints were registered, broadly a similar level to 2024 and higher than the average of the years before the EIB Group’s Speak-Up and Dignity at Work Action Plan was launched, showing that staff are more confident in flagging issues and bringing complaints forward. As also foreseen in the plan, in 2025 the EIB Group continued to make important progress in strengthening its governance and workplace culture, including appointing an ombudsperson, for confidential support and informal conflict resolution. The EIB Group also introduced compulsory trainings and enhanced awareness raising to prevent breaches, enhanced mediation services and monitoring tools to detect and address concerns early, and revised various policies and procedures to boost transparency and effectively tackle allegations of misconduct, centralising investigations ensuring a consistent and impartial approach. In 2026, a new dedicated unit will be set up for internal investigations so that complaints can be followed up as fast as possible.
Data from 2025 indicates that serious breaches within the EIB Group remain limited, reflecting overall integrity and professional and ethical behaviour of staff, supported by robust controls. Most of the complaints related to alleged breaches of the EIB Group Staff Code of Conduct, such as confidentiality, undeclared external activities and conflicts of interest.
Of the 48 investigations completed in 2025, around 80% (37) have been dismissed as unsubstantiated. 11 substantiated cases were referred to Human Resources for follow-up: three cases of fraud, one case of psychological harassment and seven cases of other breaches of the EIB Group Staff Code of Conduct. In addition, nine disciplinary cases from previous years were closed with sanctions ranging from written reprimands to dismissal.