Le monde de Kafka : la politique de la Banque européenne d’investissement en matière d’information

This fact sheet, published by Friends of the Earth International in September 2004, criticizes the European Investment Bank (EIB) for its lack of transparency and restrictive information policies. It argues that the EIB often withholds critical project documentation, such as environmental impact assessments, until after loans are approved, thereby preventing public participation and oversight. The document outlines the EIB's 2002 and 2004 policy updates and presents a series of demands from NGOs to align the bank's practices with international standards and EU law.

• NGOs argue that the EIB's information policies are insufficient because they use vague language and grant the bank and project promoters excessive discretion over what is disclosed.
• The EIB's commitment to transparency is often undermined by its emphasis on banking confidentiality and the private interests of its counterparties.
• Critical project documentation, including environmental impact assessments (EIAs), is frequently unavailable to the public before the EIB Council approves financing, rendering public consultation ineffective.
• The EIB's transparency practices are described as inferior to those of other international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
• Information regarding 'global loans' is particularly opaque, as the EIB relies on intermediary banks to provide information, and key impact analyses are not published.
• The EIB approved a new transparency policy on June 15, 2004, which includes commitments to review public access rules by the end of 2004 and optimize the use of electronic means for information accessibility.
• NGOs have proposed specific reforms, including requiring that project information be published at least 120 days before a Council decision and that EIAs be published 60 days before public inquiries.

APA

Friends of the Earth International (2004). Le monde de Kafka : la politique de la Banque européenne d’investissement en matière d’information. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/EIBfactsheet3.pdf

Chicago

Friends of the Earth International. Le monde de Kafka : la politique de la Banque européenne d’investissement en matière d’information. 2004. https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/EIBfactsheet3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Friends of the Earth International |title=Le monde de Kafka : la politique de la Banque européenne d’investissement en matière d’information |date=September 2004 |url=https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/EIBfactsheet3.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{friendsoftheearthinternational2004monde, author = {{Friends of the Earth International}}, title = {{Le monde de Kafka : la politique de la Banque européenne d’investissement en matière d’information}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth International}, year = {2004}, month = sep, url = {https://www.foei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/EIBfactsheet3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }