Brussels, Belgium – The Counter Balance campaign today called for a winding-up of so-called development lending activities at the European Investment Bank (EIB), as the European NGO coalition issued a report detailing exactly why people living in poverty are failing to receive the benefit of billions of euros loaned each year by the EIB outside the European Union.

Download the report here

PRESS CONFERENCE INVITATION

Launch of new Counter Balance report

Corporate welfare and development deceptions
Why the European Investment Bank is failing to deliver outside the EU


When: 1.30 – 3.00 pm, February 25, 2010
Where: The Passage room (Ground floor), International Press Centre, Résidence Palace , Rue de la Loi 155, Brussels

**Sandwiches and refreshments will be provided in the IPC from 1.00pm**

Eurodad and Counter Balance submission to the Wise Persons Panel

Civil society organisations have engaged with the Wise Persons Panel in the past few months. On 28th January Eurodad and Counter Balance sent a submission to the Panel, which is currently finalising its recommendations for the European Council and the Parliament.

Download position paper here  

Why major reforms are needed in the new EIB external lending mandate.

“Major structural reforms needed,” concludes civil society after Counter Balance's 2-day  November conference in Brussels on the European Investment Bank and its role in development.

Civil society was invited to the European Parliament on November 19, 2009, to present its findings and demands to host MEPs: Gabi Zimmer (GUE-NGL), Sven Giegold (Greens–EFA) and Thijs Berman (S&D). Civil society’s input was warmly welcomed by the MEPs as an invaluable source of information to support the necessary changes to the EIB's external lending mandate due to be debated at the parliament in 2010.