The EIB is launching 2008-03-25 a public consultation on a draft revised EIB Statement of Environmental and Social Principles and Standards. The document is available in English, French, and German.

Interested organizations and individuals are invited to comment on the draft document. The public consultation will include two rounds, if there is sufficient stakeholder interest. The first round will last 45 working days, taking into account holiday periods and ending on 28 May 2008. An extension of the process would include a second round of 20 working days, based on second draft, taking into account stakeholder comments from the first round. In any event, the Bank will adopt a flexible approach in terms of timetable and procedures to allow a meaningful consultation.

An inter-directorate Review Panel will be set up in the Bank to examine stakeholder proposals and comments. The Panel’s evaluations will provide the framework for any redrafting of the Statement.

After completion of the consultation process, the draft revised statement will be presented, together with a draft Consultation Report, to the EIB’s Management Committee and Board of Directors. The Report will outline how the consultation process was conducted and include all stakeholder submissions and reasoned EIB positions on the extent in which these were taken into account.

15 working days prior to Board consideration, the draft statement and Consultation Report will be published, for information, on the EIB website.

After Board approval, the final versions of the new EIB Statement of Environmental and Social Principles and Standards and the Consultation Report will be published on the EIB website.

Complementary information on the environmental and social policy and practices of the EIB that might facilitate informed comment on the Statement can be found on the website of the Bank.

For comment: Draft EIB Statement of Environmental and Social Principles and Standards

See also:
Environmental and Social Practices Handbook
Context Note

Comments should be forwarded before 28 May 2008 in writing by e-mail to infopol@eib.org.

Contributions can also be faxed to +352 4379 63191 or sent by post to European Investment Bank, Communication Department, Civil Society Unit, Yasmine Khayat, 100 Boulevard Konrad Adenauer, L-2950 Luxembourg.

Public consultation process and procedures

1. Today’s announcement supersedes the first announcement of 20 December 2007.
2. Interested organisations and individuals wishing to submit proposals or comments on the draft revised statement are asked to do so in writing by returning the attached form by e-mail, fax, or post.
3. The deadline for submissions is 28 May 2008, allowing interested parties 45 working days in which to submit their contribution.
4. Submissions can be drawn up in any of the official languages of the European Union.
5. The Bank will acknowledge receipt of the submissions.
6. Organisations presenting a submission are requested to provide the name and address of their organisation with a contact name and a brief explanation of their objectives.
7. Individual members of the public are requested to provide their full name and address, and, optionally, a brief explanation of their interest in the EIB and/or its environmental and social statement.
8. The Bank will hold one or more Consultation Workshops to discuss the draft Statement with interested stakeholders, which will be announced on the EIB website. Proposals and comments voiced during these meetings also will be submitted to the inter-directorate Review Panel within the Bank.
9. Contributions, in line with point 2 above, and provided that they comply with law and regulations, will be carefully analysed by the Review Panel and included in a Consultation Report.
10. Public contributions will also be posted, for information, on the EIB website during the consultation process, unless the sender would object.
11. A second round of consultation will take place, depending upon stakeholder interest.
12. All stakeholder contributions will be available, in their original form, for consultation by the members of the EIB Management Committee and the Board of Directors when they consider the draft revised policy.
13. After approval by the Board of Directors, the new statement and Consultation Report will be published on the EIB website.
14. Contributors to the consultation process will be directly informed of the outcome.

Public consultation provisional timetable
25 March 2008 Launch of a 45 working days public consultation by announcement on the EIB website. Draft revised statement posted on the website for comments. Direct announcement to those organisations and individuals who have shown a particular interest in the Bank and/or its environmental and social statement.
Date to be confirmed Consultation Workshop in Brussels. Further information will follow shortly.
28 May 2008 Deadline for submitting contributions.
End July Stakeholder contributions presented to the EIB Management Committee, together with a revised draft statement.
End July-August Second round of consultation (if sufficient stakeholder interest would justify). The second round would focus on a revised draft, taking account of stakeholder contributions from the first round. If a second round would not be held, this would be announced and explained before completion of the first round, both on the EIB website and directly to parties involved or showing a particular interest in the consultation process.