EU

This briefing highlights the opportunity to improve key aspects of the Connecting Europe Facility Regulation on transport to ensure better coherence with EU priorities, to move towards a low carbon and resource efficient transport sector, which is economically and environmentally sustainable. If offered concrete recommendations for Members of the European Parliament's ITRE-TRAN committee for the voting on December 18, 2012.

This briefing highlights the opportunity to improve key aspects of the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) Guidelines to ensure better coherence with EU priorities, to move towards a low carbon and resource efficient transport sector, which is economically and environmentally sustainable. If offered concrete recommendations for Members of the European Parliament's TRAN committee for the voting on December 18, 2012.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the EU’s bank and also the biggest public financial institution in the world by lending volume, has launched a public consultation on its energy policy and is seeking views from the public and other stakeholders that should feed into a review of one of the EIB’s most crucial lending sectors. The new policy is expected to take effect from June 2013.

Monsanto, the world’s largest seed producer and one of the most well-known promoters of genetically modified crops worldwide, is in line to receive USD 40 million of public financial support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the bank disclosed last month.

It was no surprise when the European Council summit meeting dedicated to deciding the EU’s budget for 2014-2020 broke down in Brussels on the afternoon of November 23 with no deal having been reached. The main surprises were how early on the Friday afternoon the EU’s 27 member states decided enough was enough, as well as the relative lack of rancour on display.

There will be MFF 2014-2020 closure, in some shape or form, and presumably at some stage in 2013 – at least, that is, when it comes to the European level negotiating and haggling over the future EU budget. But what comes after? With our long-term EU Funds partners Friends of the Earth Europe, Bankwatch is organising a series of timely events to remind how sustained and constructive dialogue between official institutions and citizens can result in highly rewarding initiatives – all derived from EU budgetary spending.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has come under fire in recent weeks thanks to a loan granted to Ford Europe. The EU’s bank signed off on a EUR 200 million loan to the car giant for the company’s relocation of production to Turkey not long after Ford Europe announced the shutdown of its production sites in Genk, Belgium, and Southampton in England.

Although public authorities appear increasingly to be turning their backs on public-private partnerships (PPPs) for delivery of services and the provision of infrastructure, the beleaguered investment vehicle continues to be aggressively promoted by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB). An official in-depth evaluation of this financing model, however, remains long overdue.

On November 30, the same day as the national government was under fire in the most heated protests Slovenia has seen in years, Slovenia's ministers of finance and infrastructure added fuel to the flames by signing contracts with Simon Tot, director of the Sostanj lignite power plant for the controversial EUR 1.3 billion Sostanj Unit 6. These contracts prepare the ground for the signing of a state guarantee contract for a EUR 440 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the project.