European Investment Bank:
Promoting sustainable development,
“Where appropriate”
A survey of the EIB’s social guidelines for project financing outside the European Union
November 2007
“You who are on the road,
must have a code,
that you can live by“
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, “Teach Your Children” (1970)
Study written by:
Dr. Christopher Wright
Visiting researcher,
Center for Development and the Environment
University of Oslo
Email: christopher.wright@sum.uio.no
Study commissioned by:
CEE Bankwatch Network
Acknowledgements
Numerous people provided comments and suggestions that benefited the lead author and greatly influenced the final
draft, particularly the sections with specific policy recommendations for the EIB.
Therefore, the lead author wishes to specifically thank the following people for generously providing their time and wis-
dom in support of the report; Petr Hlobil (CEE Bankwatch), Erica John-Marie (BrettonWoods Project), Anders Lustgarden
(BrettonWoods Project), Crescie Maurer (independent consultant), Regine Richter (Urgewald), Magda Stoczkiewicz (CEE
Bankwatch), and Antonio Tricarico (CRBM).
Designed by:
Tomáš Barčík – design studio, www.design-studio.cz
Printed by:
Grafokon, Prague
This report is printed on recycled paper.
CEE Bankwatch Network gratefully acknowledges financial support from
the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (Netherlands), the European Commission and the Charles
Stewart Mott Foundation. Sole responsibility for content lies with the author of the report. Funders cannot be held res-
ponsible for any further use that may be made of the information contained therein.
CEE Bankwatch Network
Jičínská 8, Praha 3, 130 00, Czech Republic
Tel/Fax: +420 274 816 571
E-mail: main@bankwatch.org
www.bankwatch.org
Contents
ABBREVIATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The dilemma . . . . . . .