From: freedominfo.org [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
freedominfo.org
Sent: 30 November 2005 22:40
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: European Investment Bank Fails to Win Aarhus Exemption
freedominfo.org IFTI Watch Update, November 30, 2005
European Investment Bank Fails to Win Aarhus Exemption;
Draft Disclosure Policy Draws Criticism at Public Hearing
http://www.freedominfo.org
Washington, DC, November 30, 2005 - A committee of the European Union
Parliament Nov. 22 rejected an effort by the European Investment Bank to be
exempted from rules implementing the Aarhus Convention, the EU agreement
that governs transparency policies for environmental-related activities,
according to an article posted today in freedominfo.org's IFTI Watch column.
Approval of an amendment by the Environment Committee to include the EIB
came despite campaigning by EIB officials to have "banking" excluded from
the scope of the Aarhus rules. The EIB had circulated this request last
November in a "non-paper" and had won support of committee rapporteur,
Finnish conservative Eija Riitta Korhola.
Magda Stoczkiewicz, Policy Coordinator of CEE Bankwatch Network, commented:
"We are delighted that the Environment Committee shares our view that
banking should not be exempted from Aarhus. It means that the EU's house
bank, the European Investment Bank, will need to adapt its information
policy to the rules of the Regulation. It is a very welcome outcome given
the fact that the EIB has been advocating for exemption from this Regulation
and it should lead to the first binding law for the EIB to release
information to interested citizens and people affected by EIB financed
projects."
The EIB is in the process of redrafting its disclosure policies, and held a
public meeting about them Nov. 18. Critics including Stoczkiewicz argued
that the draft proposal lacked clarity and would permit the Luxembourg-based
bank to resist many legitimate requests for documents.
The EIB's latest draft proposal, unveiled Oct. 21, has now drawn uniform
criticism from a number of environmental, development, and freedom of
information groups. The comment statements are not yet posted on the EIB
website, but submissions include criticisms from CEE Bankwatch, Article 19,
the African public interest group Idasa (the Institute for Democracy in
South Africa) and others.
Please follow the link below to read the full article:
http://www.freedominfo.org
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