Πληρη πρακτικα των συζητησεων

Τρίτη 11 Ιουλίου 2023 - Στρασβούργο

19. Χρηματοδοτικές δραστηριότητες της Ευρωπαϊκής Τράπεζας Επενδύσεων - ετήσια έκθεση 2022 - Έλεγχος των χρηματοδοτικών δραστηριοτήτων της Ευρωπαϊκής Τράπεζας Επενδύσεων – ετήσια έκθεση 2022 (κοινή συζήτηση - Ευρωπαϊκή Τράπεζα Επενδύσεων)

  President. – The next item is the joint debate on:

– the report by Stefan Berger, on behalf of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, on the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2022 (2022/2062(INI)) (A9-0210/2023); and

– the report by Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, on behalf of the Committee on Budgetary Control, on the control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2022 (2023/2046(INI)) (A9-0212/2023).

  Stefan Berger, Berichterstatter. – Frau Präsidentin, meine Damen und Herren! Ich freue mich auch, dass Herr Hoyer heute anwesend ist. Im vorliegenden Jahresbericht haben wir uns sehr genau mit den Finanzaktivitäten der Europäischen Investitionsbank befasst. Die Europäische Investitionsbank ist eine der wichtigsten Einrichtungen für Investitionen in der Europäischen Union, und ihr Auftrag besteht darin, die politischen Ziele strategisch zu fördern. Die EIB ist beispielsweise einer der weltweit größten Geldgeber im Bereich Klimaschutz.

Die vergangenen Jahre und 2022 waren schwierige Jahre. Nachdem 2021 noch die Erholung nach Corona im Fokus stand, liegt heute der Schwerpunkt bei den geopolitischen Herausforderungen durch den Konflikt in der Ukraine. Die Folgen des russischen Angriffskriegs sind nicht nur Zerstörung und Leid, sondern natürlich auch der Wegfall der Ukraine als Kornkammer Europas. Wir haben hier vor unserer Haustür mit steigenden Lebensmittelpreisen zu kämpfen und Engpässe in Lieferketten zu verzeichnen.

Auch die Stilllegung der russischen Gasströme hat zu nie dagewesenen Preisspitzen auf den Energiemärkten geführt, unter denen unsere Industrie und unsere privaten Haushalte gleichermaßen stark leiden.

Gleichzeitig hat uns der Krieg auch Finanzierungslücken im Verteidigungsbereich aufgezeigt, die wir dringend schließen sollten. Daher haben wir der Europäischen Investitionsbank im Bericht unter anderem nahegelegt, zu untersuchen, ob und wie man zur Schließung von Investitionslücken im Verteidigungsbereich beitragen kann.

Mit anderen Worten: Sie, Herr Präsident Hoyer, Sie hatten viel zu tun, und Sie und die EIB werden weiterhin viel zu tun haben.

Mit der Lancierung von EIB Global haben Sie einen neuen Geschäftsbereich ins Leben gerufen, einen Geschäftsbereich, der es ermöglicht, weltweit, also außerhalb der EU-Grenzen, agieren zu können, um z. B. mit Klimaprogrammen zu agieren oder sich Fragen der Migration zuwenden zu können. Hier gilt auch der Europäischen Investitionsbank zunächst einmal der Dank für das bereits Geleistete. Aber wir dürfen wichtige Themen nicht vergessen. Zum Beispiel leidet unser Mittelstand unter steigenden Energiepreisen, wir stehen in einem internationalen Wettbewerb, Europa muss Innovation und Digitalisierung fördern. Denn nur prosperierende Unternehmen sind die richtige Antwort auf Radikalisierung und auf Zukunftsperspektiven für unsere Jugendlichen.

Gerade als Abgeordneter vom Niederrhein begrüße ich natürlich sehr die Beteiligung der EIB am EU-Mechanismus für einen gerechten Übergang. Denn der Übergang zu einer CO2-armen Wirtschaft kann und darf nicht nur von Kohleregionen alleine wie dem rheinischen Revier getragen werden, sondern muss ein solidarisches und gerechtes Unterfangen sein. Auch die Zukunft muss in den Blick genommen werden. Wir haben klar gefordert, dass die EIB eine wichtige und strategische Rolle beim europäischen Chip-Gesetz spielt, also dem Aufbau einer europäischen Computerchipproduktion. Jeder Euro, der hier in Forschung und Entwicklung investiert wird, ist ein Euro in unsere Zukunft, und aus demselben Blickwinkel sehen wir auch die Rolle von EIB Global in der Global-Gateway-Strategie, da hier zielgerichtete Investitionen in Infrastruktur und KMU unsere strategische Autonomie stärken sollen.

Sehr geehrter Herr Präsident, liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen, ich denke, wir haben einen guten Bericht vorgelegt, der jedenfalls im Ausschuss mit einer breiten Mehrheit angenommen wurde. Ich danke nochmals meinen Schattenberichterstattern für die gute und vertrauensvolle Zusammenarbeit und sage: Vielen Dank für diese gute Arbeit.

  Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, rapporteur. – Madam President, President Hoyer, Commissioner, dear Colleagues, as the rapporteur for the annual report on the control of the financial activities of the EIB for the year 2022, I can say it was indeed an important and very challenging year. Thank you to the Secretariat and my shadow rapporteurs for their cooperation. I also look forward to continue working with the EIB.

The EIB annual report focuses on three points for the bank. First, the crisis response following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Second, the launch of the EIB Global. Third, the green transition. We all agree that Ukraine needs our support for as long as it takes. This support includes financial aid and reconstruction for the country for which the EIB as the EU bank is, and will be, the key stakeholder.

I commend the EIB on its proven record of prompt crisis responses. Whether it regarded the financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic or Russia’s war on Ukraine, the EIB has done a great job in mobilising and deploying the needed funds and loans. However, I would like to stress potential risks that lay ahead of us. The financial support given to Ukraine must come with robust supervisory and protective measures. It is fundamental to ensure that those funds are spent in line with its originally intended purpose of rebuilding the country and helping the Ukrainian people recover from the tragedy of the invasion. We must implement an active distribution process that ensures the money for Ukraine’s reconstruction is not misallocated, but that EU taxpayers’ money benefits all, supports democracy and transparency, and sets Ukraine up for a successful and sustainable future in line with our EU values.

The second point is the launch of the EIB Global in January 2022, which is vital to increase our presence outside of the EU. EIB Global is central to the better implementation of our EU policies, priorities and objectives, particularly in the context of potential future EU enlargement. EIB Global will provide additional funds for the Western Balkans in four key areas: digitalisation, telecommunication, infrastructure and the energy transition. The pledges to the EU climate bank are nice, but the bank needs to put its money where its mouth is. For me, the priorities here are the aspects of sustainability, climate, biodiversity and environment.

The EIB decision to no longer invest in fossil fuels related projects was a first great step. Yet I urge the EIB to be consistent here as the bank is still financing previously approved projects such as the Balkan Stream gas pipeline. We welcome the fact that in 2022, the EIB achieved a total level of green financing for over 36.5 billion, which is 58% of total financing volumes, exceeding the original target of 50%.

Lastly, for the year 2022, I was pleased to note that the financing was distributed to key areas such as innovation, digital and human capital, sustainable energy and natural resources, sustainable cities and of course, SMEs. I look very much forward to all of your remarks and an interesting exchange.

  David Cormand, rapporteur pour avis de la commission des budgets. – Madame la Présidente, Monsieur le Président, d’abord bravo, parce qu’on a commencé ce mandat en 2019 avec tout l’enjeu sur la Banque du climat. Vous nous aviez dit: «Mais nous pouvons le faire». Et c’est un Vert qui vous le dit, vous avez impulsé ces changements. Bien sûr, nous, on en demande toujours plus. Mais, vraiment, félicitations pour ce travail que vous avez accompli depuis 2019, et avant même, mais moi je le vois depuis 2019.

Mais, on en demande toujours plus et je voulais attirer l’attention sur un rapport de l’ONG Oxfam qui a révélé de graves dérives relatives à des projets en partie financés par la BEI. Ces projets concernent des hôpitaux privés ayant reçu des fonds de banques publiques dans plusieurs pays du Sud et dans lesquels les patients n’ont pas reçu les soins qui leur étaient dus. C’est par exemple le cas de patients atteints de la COVID qui n’ont pas été traités. Certains ont même été poussés à la banqueroute lorsque les hôpitaux ont vendu des lits de soins intensifs au plus offrant.

Donc, Monsieur le Président, la BEI dispose-t-elle d’une évaluation de ces investissements en termes de réduction de la pauvreté et de la réalisation de la couverture de santé universelle hors de l’UE? Comment la BEI va-t-elle répondre à ces dérives manifestes et enfin demander aux intermédiaires financiers de véritablement rendre des comptes?

  Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank. – Madam President, honourable Members of Parliament, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it’s an honour and a pleasure to be back in this House. Let me take this opportunity to thank the rapporteur for the excellent work, for highlighting the role of the EIB as the bank of the European Union and for acknowledging our fundamental role in supporting our common objectives.

We face a number of challenges these days, which fuel one another in a vicious circle. From pandemic to war, energy, inflation, climate. But if there is one thing I learned over the past 12 years at the helm of the EIB, it is that this Union can adapt to crises, come out stronger and prove its doubters wrong. Thanks to the strong and decisive actions, the same will be true this time around again. Despite doomsday predictions about energy rationing last winter, our lights stayed on.

And one reason for this was that the EIB, your bank, has channelled more than EUR 100 billion in timely investments over the past decade into the EU’s energy sector. We are proud that our financing for renewables, energy efficiency and energy grids has helped secure Europe’s energy supply. And we are proud that our support for cutting edge technologies at the nexus between climate and innovation, such as the world’s first commercial floating wind farms, Europe’s first gigafactory, or the first low-carbon steel manufacturing plants, have helped cement the EU’s leadership role in this critical area.

This is not, of course, to suggest that all is well. The way to a carbon neutral European economy is still very long. And also in terms of competitiveness, it’s high time for Europe to step up its game. We have an edge at the intersection between climate and innovation. We took this area seriously long before many others. But we also see that the global race has only just begun.

Now, I’m not advocating for broad based fiscal support measures in an inflationary environment, of course, but targeted support in the technologies of tomorrow and their supply chains will be key. I believe that as a Union we can and must do more in this area.

At the EIB Group, we are doing our part. In 2022, we exceeded our climate targets of 50% and signed more financing contracts for clean energy projects than ever before. And we committed to do even more, namely another EUR 30 billion on top of our usual lending in the sector to support REPowerEU. If it is up to me, we will raise this bar once again.

Ladies and gentlemen, the energy transition is not just a necessity to stave off catastrophic climate change, it plays an important role when it comes to our future competitiveness and it is a critical security priority for our Union.

Protecting European sovereignty means standing up for our values. This is nowhere as obviously true as in the case of Ukraine: Europe’s battlefield in the global struggle between freedom and oppression. There again, the EIB has kept on delivering in the last year. We disbursed close to EUR 2 billion in financing, starting only a few days after the invasion began to help the Ukrainian economy stay afloat.

But more is needed. That’s why, in the absence of guarantees from the EU budget, we launched our EU for Ukraine trust fund. It enables Member States, the European Commission, and other donors to support the country’s resilience through concrete investment projects. And I’m happy to report that more than a dozen Member States have announced their intentions to contribute to this initiative or will do so in a couple of days, when the first contributions will be signed in the margins of the next Ecofin meeting.

But this will be a bridge solution only. We urgently need a long-term plan. The longer we wait, the higher the bill for the rebuilding of Ukraine’s economy will be. To ensure that we can operate in Ukraine in 2024 and beyond, it is absolutely necessary that the bank receives dedicated budget guarantees again from the EU budget. And this is being done quickly. We need your support to make this happen. We cannot afford to lose time. Yes, military support is important, crucial. But we must not forget the critical role of the Ukrainian economy, it forms the backbone of the impressive resistance that we have seen over the past 500 days, and it will form the main source of funding for any reconstruction effort later on. We cannot wait until the ink under a peace treaty is dry. Investing in Ukraine’s economy today means investing in Ukraine’s future as an independent state. And one day, a member of the European Union.

By the way, each euro of EIB support is wired if, and only if, we see progress on the ground. We do not pay out loans in one go. We disburse the funds when they are really needed, brick by brick. We are determined to support the country, but we are not naive.

Ladies and gentlemen, while the EIB does not finance guns or explosives for very good reasons, we do back European security with financing of high tech projects with dual use applications. This includes cutting edge technologies that have civilian applications such as aerospace – think of drones, helicopters, satellites, as well as cybersecurity. Here too, we exceeded our targets and delivered well over EUR 1 billion of high tech projects last year. Our board just approved that we step up our opportunities in this area even further.

Ladies and gentlemen, in a multipolar world, EU needs to show that it puts its money where the mouth is. It would be one of the biggest strategic blunders to lose what is sometimes referred to as the Global South in the battle for influence between China, Russia and the US.

Even more so collectively, we are one of the biggest investors globally. The problem is too few people know about this. The activities of the EU outside of its borders are often fragmented, poorly coordinated, and importantly, not communicated strongly.

This is one of the reasons why we launched EIB Global last year, a dedicated branch for EIB operations outside of the EU, 100% owned by the EU and operated under the flag of the EU. And this development has been spot on.

The EIB has been one of the largest project financiers on behalf of the EU in developing countries for nearly six decades. We have finally, some of the most impressive infrastructure projects worldwide with the Panama Canal, the Aqaba-Amman water pipeline, the Lake Turkana wind farms – the largest wind farms in Africa – exporting EU sector knowledge across the globe. And all this has made a real and tangible difference. Impact is what counts.

With the set setup of EIB Global, we want to double down on this experience with more staff in the field, a clearer visual identity and a strong sense of cooperation – which is, by the way, why I continue to believe that the best setup for EIB Global is one where not only EU Member States are shareholders, as is the case today, but also the development finance institutions and the European Commission. The EIB must play a strong role in multilateral fora, but it also needs to show its own flag abroad.

None of what the EIB is doing outside the European Union comes at the expense of operations within the Union, by the way. Almost half of all lending in the EU last year was in cohesion regions. Equitable growth and the convergence of living standards remain key pillars of what we do. And the same goes for innovation, which has remained a top priority for us.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me stop here. These are just some examples of the bank’s work since we last met. Thanks to the creativity and determination of our staff and thanks to your support, the EU bank, your bank turns crisis into opportunities and opportunities into realities.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is probably my last annual address to you. Let me take this opportunity to thank you all for your support over the years. We have come a long way together. And if I may, while it has not always been an easy discussion, I think we have made a difference together. Today is by far not yet the time to say goodbye. Lots still needs to be done. You count on me to keep on pushing for more Europe and the greener, more digital and more resilient future for all of us.

  Virginijus Sinkevičius, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members of the European Parliament, President Hoyer, I would like to thank the European Parliament for these two reports and, in particular, the rapporteurs for their work.

The EIB Group plays a key part in carrying out EU policies both inside and – as it was just presented – outside our borders, and it is integral to the EU’s response to today’s economic and geopolitical challenges. And this includes Russia’s brutal and unjustified war against Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis, along with the existential threat posed by climate change and environmental degradation.

All these challenges call for a decisive, coordinated EU response, so we welcome the EIB Group’s long-term strategy, which focuses on the green and digital transitions and strengthening our open strategic autonomy. This is reflected in the EIB’s support for EU policies that underpin our transition to net zero, including its increased support for the REPowerEU plan, its investment in digital and cutting-edge technologies, as well as in security and defence within the context of dual-use technologies, also in semiconductors, biotech and critical raw materials.

Promoting investment for recovery, green growth and employment across Europe is one of the EU’s top priorities. The flagship InvestEU investment programme should be strengthened in line with our proposed regulation for a Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, or STEP – our response to the need for raising investments in critical technologies in Europe. And the EIB will play an important role in achieving the ambitions of STEP.

I welcome the EIB Group’s active role in implementing InvestEU, now in its second year of deployment, with its many operations already underway to support the green and digital transition. The Group supports SME investments in areas such as solar photovoltaics, wind energy, energy efficiency and renewable hydrogen. I would also encourage the EIB to use its expertise and market knowledge to address more difficult areas, such as social priorities.

I will now turn to Ukraine, where our close cooperation with EIB has been vital for securing urgent financial assistance in 2022 and in 2023. Backed by the EU guarantee, the EIB has now made EUR 2.3 billion available in loans to Ukraine since the start of the war. However, Ukraine’s needs continue to be massive. We need to make sure that we stand by and support Ukraine at all times.

So in June, as part of the mid-term review of the multiannual financial framework, the Commission has proposed the Ukraine facility to provide medium-term support of up to EUR 50 billion in grants and loans between 2024 and 2027. The facility will be vital for Ukraine’s macro-financial stability and to promote its recovery and modernisation, while carrying out key reforms needed on its path to EU accession.

I take this opportunity to call on the European Parliament to contribute to the speedy approval of the Ukraine facility so that we continue to provide uninterrupted financial flows to Ukraine, as well as the other elements of the package, such as the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform that I mentioned earlier.

In addition, I would like to thank the EIB for its EU for Ukraine Initiative to support Ukraine in the short term. It should help to rebuild infrastructure, address priority investment needs and ensure business support. As you know, the Commission is contributing to this initiative with a guarantee that allows the EIB to provide EUR 100 million in extra financing. And it is encouraging to see that EIB has already identified a promising pipeline of the new project.

Besides Ukraine, let us not forget that the Group’s other activities outside the EU are reinforced by setting up EIB Global, which is now reaching its cruising speed. So I welcome the Parliament’s explicit call in its report that EIB Global should focus on ensuring alignment with EU policy priorities. And this includes, of course, Global Gateway, the external dimension of the EU Green Deal, digitalisation and connectivity, regional integration and the health sector.

IN THE CHAIR: MARC ANGEL
Vice-President

  Petri Sarvamaa, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Mr President, President Hoyer, dear colleagues, first, just a few words about the EIB’s financial operations and performance. At the end of last year, arguably the world’s largest public bank, the total EIB group balance sheet stood at EUR 547.3 billion.

The bank borrows money on capital markets and lends it on favourable terms to projects that support EU objectives. And here, of course, it has to be stressed that supporting EU objectives must always be, and I’m sure will be, key priority of the European Investment Bank. Financing was distributed across the main priorities as follows: 17.93 billion for innovation, digital and human capital, almost 21 billion for sustainable energy and natural resources, and almost 17.5 billion for sustainable cities and regions. When talking about important actors in the European context, I cannot emphasise too much the importance of small enterprises. SMEs in the Union account for 99 % of all businesses and more than half of Europe’s GDP. And here, the EIB provided financing amounting to a total of 16.35 billion. Not to forget Ukraine and its huge financing needs in the future. So, dear colleagues, the EIB plays an extremely important role already and has the potential to be even more important to the Union in the future.

Although the funds do not come from the common budget, they must nevertheless be monitored with particular attention. Keeping the aforementioned numbers in mind, the EIB needs to continue diligent reporting on the state of play and status of the previous recommendations issued by Parliament in its annual resolutions. Here, the Budgetary Control Committee, in good cooperation with the European Investment Bank, plays an important role, I think.

  Jonás Fernández, en nombre del Grupo S&D. – Señor presidente, señor comisario, permitidme dedicar estos primeros segundos de mi intervención a agradecer al presidente Hoyer sus doce años de servicio a la Unión Europea, en la cual el Banco Europeo de Inversiones, sin duda, ha dado un salto institucional de presencia y de cooperación con este Parlamento que deseo agradecer. Es cierto, como usted decía, que no siempre hemos opinado lo mismo —y recuerdo los debates en torno a la implementación del InvestEU, entre otros asuntos—, pero no quería dejar de agradecer su trabajo, aunque con esto se me consuma casi toda mi intervención.

En cualquier caso, pensando en el futuro, el Banco Europeo de Inversiones ha dado un gran salto, convirtiéndose en el gran banco del clima de la Unión Europea, empujado también por este Parlamento. Y, sin duda, el Banco tiene que también ser capaz de dar un salto adicional en la cooperación para resolver algunos problemas que tenemos sobre el diseño de las ayudas de Estado y la cohesión del mercado único contribuyendo, y mucho más, a la creación de un instrumento soberano que nos ayude a enfrentar los grandes retos de la transición digital, de la transición verde, desde la soberanía europea y con una contribución del Banco Europeo de Inversiones que los Estados solos no pueden hacer, y con una contribución especial también al mecanismo de transición justa para algunas regiones como la mía, como Asturias, que necesita del respaldo del BEI.

  Caroline Nagtegaal, namens de Renew-Fractie. – Voorzitter, commissaris, al 500 dagen hebben we te maken met extreme Russische agressie in Oekraïne, in onze Europese achtertuin. En daar moeten we ons tegen wapenen. En ik begrijp heel goed het gevoel dat we helemaal geen wapens en munitie nodig wíllen hebben, want er is werkelijk niks moois aan wapens en er is ook niks moois aan oorlog. Maar de harde werkelijkheid in Oekraïne is dat we voor een veilig Europa helaas niet zonder kunnen. U refereerde daar ook aan.

En wat mij betreft ligt er een taak voor de Europese Investeringsbank om aan die veiligheid een bijdrage te leveren. En de eerste stappen zijn daar gelukkig ook toe gezet. En ik wil de EIB hier dan ook van harte aanmoedigen om naast de producten voor tweeënlei gebruik ook de deur voor de militaire projecten open te zetten. Want dit zou een extra wapenfeit zijn om ons continent veilig te houden. Voor nu, maar ook voor in de toekomst.

  Ryszard Czarnecki, w imieniu grupy ECR. – Panie Przewodniczący! Panie Prezesie! Panie Komisarzu! Można powiedzieć, że to taka metafora funkcjonowania naszej Unii, bo w tej debacie spotyka się najmłodszy komisarz w Komisji Europejskiej z bardzo doświadczonym, mającym długi staż prezesem Europejskiego Banku Inwestycyjnego. Właśnie, doświadczenie i młodość dają dobry efekt.

Proszę Państwa, ja oczywiście mogę powiedzieć, że nie do końca podobają mi się pewne akcenty w funkcjonowaniu banku. Mam wrażenie, że jak na instytucję bankową – i wystąpieniu Pana Prezesa w tym roku, i w wystąpieniu sprzed roku – dość dużo jest elementów ideologii klimatycznej. Myślę, że raczej powinniśmy tego w twardej ekonomii unikać. Proszę zostawić to politykom. Oni to robią znakomicie, niestety także w tej Izbie.

Natomiast doceniam szczególnie to, co robił Europejski Bank Inwestycyjny dla małych i średnich firm. To była rzecz istotna. Także doceniam to, co robił w kontekście wspierania różnych krajów w obszarze postsowieckim.

  France Jamet, au nom du groupe ID. – Monsieur le Président, la Banque européenne d’investissement devrait être un outil au service de la prospérité des peuples, des nations d’Europe et de leurs forces vives. Dans les faits, elle n’est qu’un outil de communication politique, un outil qui promeut essentiellement une folle idéologie antinucléaire et dévoyée par l’extrême gauche. Et pour faire quoi? Balancer 350 millions d’euros dans l’éolien maritime dans le Calvados, avec pour effet d’expulser nos pêcheurs de leur zone de pêche? Ou dans un soutien hasardeux à des énergies renouvelables, alors que notre industrie nucléaire performante, abondante et décarbonée mériterait plus d’investissements?

Et pourquoi la Banque d’investissement européenne ne jouerait-elle pas un rôle plus positif et performant dans notre économie, en se donnant, par exemple, les moyens d’entrer au capital d’entreprises innovantes? Cela éviterait que des groupes financiers étrangers et puissants ne finissent par en prendre le contrôle et nous dépossèdent de fleurons industriels ou nous privent d’entrepreneurs qui créent de l’emploi et de la richesse.

Nos territoires ont des potentiels, des énergies, des compétences, des savoirs, de l’excellence et la BEI doit se donner pour objectif de les préserver et de les protéger. Protéger notre souveraineté économique, protéger notre souveraineté énergétique.

  Mick Wallace, on behalf of the The Left Group. – Mr President, Commissioner, this report supports the EIB’s financial support for European security and defence. It specifically welcomes the EIB Strategic European Security Initiative. That initiative commits up to EUR 6 billion to dual use projects seeking to develop security and defence systems. The report even calls on the EIB to expand the initiative and to increase its investments in European security and defence.

The European Parliament is now complicit in the relentless attempts by the Council, the Commission, the European Defence Agency, as well as the arms industry, to undermine the restrictions that prevent the EIB from investing in arms and core defence projects.

In its 2022 roadmap on critical technologies for security and defence, the Commission lamented the fact that the EIB’s lending policies still had restrictions that prevent it from lending to the defence sector.

The EIB should have nothing to do with the arms industry and this is a serious indicator of where it’s going, and it’s not good.

  Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou (PPE). – Mr President, like so many other critical raw materials that we rely on for our green and digital transition, China is the world’s leading producer of natural graphite and the EU’s top supplier.

The EIB recently backed a EUR 150 million loan for a graphite mine in northern Sweden, and projects like this will be key to ensuring our autonomy, building our value chains and greening production. This project is also fully in line with the aims of the new Critical Raw Materials Act, which looks to encourage more mining in the European Union.

One of the biggest hurdles, however, is access to finance, and the Commission sees a key role for the EIB. In the Climate Bank Roadmap for 2020—2025, the EIB sets a clear path for greening its investments, but it’s disappointingly vague when it comes to the mining sector. We need to see a more prominent role for mining and a willingness from the EIB to finance mining projects.

Dear colleagues, the Commission has set out a clear strategy for de—risking from China, and the EIB through its financing decisions can help to make this a reality.

  Pedro Silva Pereira (S&D). – Senhor Presidente, Senhor Comissário, cumprimentos especiais ao Senhor Presidente do Banco Europeu de Investimento nesta sua última presença neste Parlamento. Muitos parabéns pelo seu excelente trabalho ao longo destes anos.

Neste escrutínio democrático da atividade do Banco Europeu de Investimento, não podemos deixar de reconhecer que o BEI se confirmou, no difícil ano de 2022, como uma instituição financeira fundamental no apoio à economia europeia e, em especial, às pequenas e médias empresas.

Fundamental também no apoio à transição digital, energética e climática, consolidando a sua condição de Banco Europeu do Clima, alinhado com as metas do Acordo de Paris e os desafios do Desenvolvimento Sustentável.

O Parlamento Europeu tem apelado à distribuição justa, geográfica, dos investimentos e é com satisfação que verifico o progresso feito. Portugal, por exemplo, é hoje já o sexto país europeu beneficiário dos investimentos do BEI em percentagem do PIB.

Mas os desafios continuam aí. O défice de investimento permanece na Europa e precisamos de um BEI mais forte, com capital reforçado, porque só um BEI mais forte pode fazer tudo aquilo que precisamos que faça.

  Charles Goerens (Renew). – Monsieur le Président, je voudrais d’abord rendre un hommage appuyé à l’action qu’a menée Werner Hoyer au cours de sa présidence de la Banque européenne d’investissement. Aujourd’hui, le poids de la BEI est deux fois plus important que celui de la Banque mondiale. Elle est devenue la première banque climatique. Elle mène la danse dans nombre de chantiers, aussi bien dans la périphérie de l’Union européenne que dans le grand large. C’est grâce à son savoir-faire et à son talent de diplomate et d’expert en relations extérieures que Werner Hoyer a pu contribuer à faire de la Banque européenne d’investissement ce qu’elle est aujourd’hui.

Cette banque joue aussi un rôle très important dans la mobilisation de capitaux privés, qui constitue la réponse qu’attendent tous ceux qui soutiennent la réalisation des objectifs pour le développement durable. Dès lors que l’aide publique globale au développement atteint à peine 250 milliards d’euros, la Banque européenne d’investissement et ses pairs doivent mobiliser au moins 20 fois plus que ce qui est mobilisé au titre de l’aide publique au développement. Et je compte sur la Banque européenne d’investissement et sur ceux qui s’inspirent de son expérience pour arriver à mobiliser autant de capitaux.

Je crois que ceux qui espèrent la réalisation des objectifs pour le développement durable savent que cela ne pourra se faire sans l’expérience et le savoir-faire de la Banque européenne d’investissement. Félicitations pour ce que vous avez fait.

  Roman Haider (ID). – Herr Präsident! Die Aufgabe der Europäischen Investitionsbank ist es, „zu einer ausgewogenen und reibungslosen Entwicklung des Binnenmarktes im Interesse der Union beizutragen“. Genauso steht es nämlich im Artikel 309 des Vertrags über die Arbeitsweise der Europäischen Union. Die Investitionsbank soll europäische Unternehmen und nationale Gebietskörperschaften mit Krediten unterstützen. Aufgabe der Europäischen Investitionsbank ist es nicht, die völlig verquere und bürger- und wirtschaftsfeindliche Klimapolitik dieser EU-Kommission zu finanzieren. Ebenso wenig ist es Aufgabe der EIB, die Kriege von Nicht-EU-Staaten zu finanzieren. Für diese Kernaufgaben stehen der EIB auch genügend Mittel zur Verfügung.

Eine Aufstockung der Mittel, um damit die größenwahnsinnigen Pläne einer völlig außer Rand und Band geratenen Kommission zu finanzieren, ist strikt abzulehnen. Und die EIB – das können Sie mir glauben – wird in den kommenden Jahren und Jahrzehnten genügend Investitionsbedarf in der EU selbst haben, um die Folgen der selbstzerstörerischen Politik dieser Kommission zu beseitigen.

  Angelika Winzig (PPE). – Herr Präsident! Die Europäische Investitionsbank ist die einzige internationale Finanzinstitution, die im Eigentum unserer Mitgliedstaaten steht, und mithilfe unserer Gesetzgebung tragen wir dazu bei, dass die Ziele erreicht werden.

Zwei Punkte möchte ich herausstreichen, die mir besonders am Herzen liegen: zum einen die wichtige Rolle des Europäischen Investitionsfonds bei der Verbesserung des Zugangs zu Finanzmitteln für kleinere Unternehmen, Unternehmen mit mittlerer Kapitalisierung und für Jungunternehmen. Damit werden Wachstum und Innovation und Beschäftigung in der EU gefördert.

Zweitens begrüße ich den Beitrag der EIB, zur Unterstützung des REPowerEU-Plans in den kommenden fünf Jahren weitere 30 Milliarden Euro an Darlehen für Projekte in den Bereichen erneuerbare Energiequellen und Energieeffizienz zur Verfügung zu stellen. Die Europäische Investitionsbank hat sich schon lange dem Grünen Deal verpflichtet, denn Nachhaltigkeit bedeutet auch, dass der Transformationsprozess gelingt, sodass die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der europäischen Betriebe auch in diesem Wandel gesichert ist.

Vielen Dank, Herr Präsident, und alles Gute!

  Victor Negrescu (S&D). – Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, the European Investment Bank is a key institution for the European Union that allows us to boost investment and trigger the implementation of new projects that create jobs and have a positive impact on our economy. According to a recent report, the EIB Group will create almost 1 million jobs by 2026 and add more than 1% to the European economy. Nevertheless, more work needs to be done to expand the impact of the EIB.

In 2022, three countries – Italy, France and Spain – have used the majority of the funds available, which shows the need for EU widening. For example, my country – Romania – got, in 2022, only EUR 1 billion, in comparison to Italy that got EUR 10 billion, namely almost twice more in percentage of the GDP.

At the same time, we need more transparency on project selection, human resources management and impact assessment. The EIB should be an inclusive bank, allowing access to funding for SMEs and start-ups, applicants from rural areas and small towns, or beneficiaries from vulnerable groups and disadvantaged regions.

Last and not least, the EIB should finance the frontline countries in developing their infrastructure and dealing with the challenges faced by the war in Ukraine.

  Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (Renew). – Monsieur le Président, Monsieur le Président Hoyer, chers collègues, dans ce rapport annuel, nous saluons l’action de la BEI et de son président, Monsieur Hoyer, qui ont été au rendez-vous des transitions auxquelles notre société et notre économie doivent faire face.

La BEI a répondu efficacement à la pandémie. Elle a intensifié ses efforts pour soutenir la transition verte, numérique, et s’est véritablement engagée dans le cadre de la guerre en Ukraine. Nous devons poursuivre et intensifier ses ambitions. La BEI est le véritable bras financier de l’Union européenne pour soutenir tous ces objectifs politiques.

Cela passe par le nécessaire soutien à l’industrie de la défense européenne, alors que la guerre frappe à nouveau aux portes de l’Union, mais aussi par le soutien à l’innovation, à nos PME, à l’industrie et à la numérisation. Nous devons faire encore davantage pour mobiliser l’investissement privé dans la transition verte. Mais la BEI, c’est aussi l’Europe concrète. Et l’action de la BEI au sein de nos territoires, de nos régions, permet de rendre les financements européens très accessibles. La BEI, c’est relancer les projets d’investissements durables au cœur des territoires via la rénovation urbaine, l’éducation, le développement des mobilités douces et des transports publics propres.

En tant qu’élue régionale, j’en ai été témoin avec, en Normandie, le prêt de 80 millions de la BEI consacré à la rénovation de 20 collèges en Seine-Maritime. L’Europe investit, l’Europe agit grâce à la BEI.

  Marek Belka (S&D). – Mr President, I would first like to thank Mr Hoyer for all his years at the helm of the Bank. Let me use this time to ask him some questions.

Number one: what role do you see for the Bank in the future reconstruction of Ukraine, with all the experience that the Bank has with this country? Second, looking back at the two terms at the helm of the Bank, what were your biggest achievements and the biggest challenges?

This is what we are waiting for in your concluding statement.

  Billy Kelleher (Renew). – Mr President, I’d like to welcome Mr Hoyer here and acknowledge the work that he’s done as a lead in the European Investment Bank and just say that some years ago I did meet him in Frankfurt at a Renew discussion group, when he spoke about the bundling of schools in Ireland with the Minister for Finance at the time, Michael Noonan.

Mr Hoyer, I see that again today you recently announced, along with Limerick City and County Council, that the EIB has launched a partnership to accelerate retrofitting and in turn reduce the cost of energy in social housing in Limerick as well. I think that signifies the importance of the European Investment Bank to ensure not only is it seen as the Bank of Sustainable Development Goals, not only is it seen as the Bank of climate change, but equally it is seen as a Bank that funds real tangible benefits to citizens in a very evidenced way in their lives.

That is something that I think the Bank should never lose sight of. It is owned by the Member States; it is owned by the citizens, effectively. So therefore the obligation is on the Bank to ensure that it invests primarily in the citizens of Europe. I know that in the meantime there will be significant challenges around the issue of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Climate Bank and also on the issue of Ukraine and how we fund its reconstruction in the years ahead. But never lose sight of the fact that the EIB is also for local development as much as international development.

  Maria Grapini (S&D). – Domnule președinte, încep prin a vă mulțumi și a vă felicita pentru activitatea pe care o aveți de atâția ani ca președinte. Trebuie să spun însă, în calitatea mea de vicepreședinte pentru piața internă și în numele Intergrupului pentru IMM-uri, că mi-aș dori ca anul viitor, față de raportul pe care îl analizăm acum, să alocați mai mulți bani IMM-urilor.

Aveți o importanță deosebită în InvestEU. Am scris recent comisarului Breton și da, v-a nominalizat că Banca de Investiții, sigur, are un rol important în finanțarea IMM-urilor. De asemenea, sigur, vă salut pentru că v-ați angajat și ați sprijinit Republica Moldova și vă angajați și în Balcanii de Vest să-i sprijiniți.

Ceea ce mi-aș dori, însă este să fie mai multă transparență. E foarte important să vedem cum se selecționează proiectele și ați spus un cuvânt magic aici, să facem investiții țintite și cred că este nevoie de acest lucru pentru a nu se concentra banii în aceleași zone și de fapt, în loc să creștem coeziunea, să creștem diferențele regionale. De aceea eu îmi pun speranță. Sunteți cel mai mare creditor, avem nevoie de Banca de Investiții, sunteți important pentru piața internă și nu numai. Și vă doresc sănătate și mulți ani înainte în BEI.

  Margarida Marques (S&D). – Senhor Presidente, Senhor Comissário, Senhor Presidente, o Banco Europeu de Investimento tem sido um dos mecanismos mais eficazes na política de investimento da União Europeia, como Banco Verde ou na transição digital, no apoio às PME ou na inclusão e na coesão social dentro e fora da União Europeia.

As necessidades acrescidas de investimento ˗ só para o clima é preciso 1 bilião de euros por ano, ou seja, um quadro financeiro plurianual de sete anos para um ano ˗ e um quadro económico geopolítico instável mostram que o BEI precisa de uma capacidade mais alargada, incluindo outros meios financeiros com capital reforçado.

Mas o BEI não poderá sozinho desempenhar este papel. Precisamos também de rever o orçamento da União Europeia com ambição e avançar com a criação de uma capacidade permanente de investimento ao nível europeu.

  Leszek Miller (S&D). – Panie Przewodniczący! Panie Komisarzu! Panie Prezesie! Koleżanki i Koledzy! Europejski Bank Inwestycyjny odegrał ważną rolę we wzmacnianiu potencjału Europy w zakresie zatrudniania i wzrostu gospodarczego. Równocześnie EBI konsekwentnie zapewniał finansowanie projektom związanym ze zrównoważonym rozwojem, odnawialnymi źródłami energii oraz efektywnością energetyczną. Jego działania przyczyniają się do redukcji emisji gazów cieplarnianych i budowania zrównoważonej przyszłości, co jest zgodne z celami politycznymi i gospodarczymi Unii Europejskiej.

Europejski Bank Inwestycyjny jest również silnie zaangażowany w pomoc Ukrainie. Środki przeznaczone dla Ukrainy w obliczu trudności wynikających z wojny z Rosją są bardzo istotne. Poprzez udzielenie wsparcia finansowego EBI przyczynia się do stabilizacji sytuacji w kraju i pomaga w procesie odbudowy. Jest to wyraz praktycznej solidarności Unii Europejskiej i naszego dążenia do wspierania krajów partnerskich w trudnych chwilach. Miejmy nadzieję, że po zakończeniu wojny te właśnie działania będą jeszcze ważniejsze. W takim razie wszystko, co czyni Europejski Bank Inwestycyjny, znajduje się w centrum naszych priorytetów, zyskuje nasze uznanie i poparcie.

Catch-the-eye procedure

  Seán Kelly (PPE). – Mr President, thank you, President Hoyer, for coming here and giving us the benefit of your experience and expertise. I must ask you one question. In the last mandate, the Juncker Fund was key and the EIB played a big part in that –in turning around the European economy, creating jobs, improving the quality of life. Then I was a rapporteur for its successor, InvestEU, but I haven’t heard much about InvestEU, which seemed to be full of promise and was the way of the future.

So I would like to ask you your opinion of InvestEU, what it has achieved in this mandate and what it can achieve into the future, particularly over the next year or two. Because it was a wonderful scheme succeeding the Juncker Fund, but we’re not hearing enough about it.

  Clare Daly (The Left). – Mr President, since the start of the war in Ukraine, the EIB has mobilised and disbursed about EUR 1.7 billion in emergency relief to Ukraine. And I think it’s appropriate that the report considers the very difficult situation that Ukraine is in now – with very limited resources to properly audit those monies – and calls instead on the EIB to do more to monitor the implementation of where that money is going.

And that’s particularly important in the context of the report that our own European Court of Auditors did prior to the war about the systemic and deep levels of corruption in Ukrainian society. It’s particularly important when we look at the reports about sanctions being used to oust rivals in that society and military equipment appearing for sale on the dark web.

Now, of course, militarism is exceptionally dangerous – which is why it was always excluded from the EIB’s portfolio – but now we’re using dual use to circumvent that and send across EUR 6 billion to the military industrial complex. The report calls for more partnership with NATO. This is lunacy. The bank should go back to the job it was supposed to do.

(End of catch-the-eye procedure)

  Virginijus Sinkevičius, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, just shortly to conclude, first of all, I would like to thank the Members of the Parliament and the EIB for today’s debate.

Overall, as the reports testify, the EIB is our key partner in providing EU response to the crisis that we have faced. And the challenges ahead, including the EU’s green and digital ambitions, and the move to open strategic autonomy call for even closer cooperation with the EIB Group to make sure that its activities are aligned with the evolving context and EU policy priorities.

Lastly, I would like on behalf of all the Commission to thank President Hoyer for his hard work over the last 12 years at the helm of the EIB for that excellent work that, Dr Werner Hoyer, you have truly transformed this institution into a noble institution, a modern multilateral bank that is admired and appreciated around the world. So once again, many thanks.

  Werner Hoyer, President of the European Investment Bank. – Mr President, Members of the European Parliament, I’d like thank you and say it is a great pleasure to be here today again. I have been coming regularly for 30 years now, since I had my first appearance here as Minister for European Affairs, and I must say it has always been an open house and a forum for open debate, beyond huge differences of opinion sometimes.

So probably – no, definitely – I will not be able to do justice to each and every one of you who has spoken, because then we would be here for quite a while, but I promise you, nothing will be forgotten. My colleagues in the Brussels office will make sure that we come back to you individually if we think we need to clarify something.

When I took over the role at the EIB almost 12 years ago, I did not expect that short after that, the huge investment gap in Europe would become terribly obvious. And the Juncker plan, the investment plan for Europe, was one of the responses to that.

Shortly afterwards, Europe all of a sudden realised that we have a serious climate problem. Then, of course, that brought the EIB to be ambitious on that and later on, in 2019 at the General Assembly of the United Nations, we became the climate bank of the EU.

At that time, we didn’t have a clue that shortly afterwards we would be confronted with a global health crisis that we were not prepared for. And in the COVID-19 context, EIB played a very, very important role. The reason for this was, as so often in other fields, that the bank is blessed with in-house expertise on science, technology and engineering, and on life science in particular. Most of you probably will have a vaccine in your arms that people from the EIB encouraged the industry to develop.

So this is a hell of an experience, and then the real hell came with the war in Ukraine. Who would have expected a war within Europe? I think the bank has delivered, but also by reminding itself and ourselves that, according to the Treaty on the European Union and the statute of the bank, we are there to support the strategic interests of the European Union with the means of project finance. We’re not the budget finance here. We need to support projects, projects that have an impact.

The volumes are great, of course – yes, we are the biggest multilateral bank in the world, but this is volume measurement. What counts is the impact, the difference we can make for the people in Europe and beyond.

For that, it is absolutely vital to mobilise the financial power of the private sector. Public money alone will never be enough in order to reach the objectives that we are setting ourselves and that we are expected to pursue. So mobilising the private sector and, to a large extent, and I think Ms Winzig made reference to this, it is via SMEs, or in favour of SMEs. This is why, for instance, the European Investment Fund, our subsidiary, is of such enormous importance, and I thank the Members who have recognised that.

What we must not forget, with all these good intentions and impacts, is that the EIB is a bank and not a grant agency. And being a bank means we lend money. And in order to be able to do that, we need to borrow money. My signature is on the bond issuance of EUR 70 to 100 billion of bond sales per year. Why should a private investor give this institution her or his money? Because she or he is of the opinion that they’ll get the money back and we will make good use of this money. And the rating agencies support that every year by saying, okay, this bank is rock solid: first, it has an incredible in-house expertise that allows it to scrutinise projects in a very, very unusual way, and second, obviously, we have the support of our shareholders. And I thank the shareholders of the bank, the Member States and the European Commission, our main partner, for this excellent cooperation.

Strategic interests, of course, are the focus of our work for and in Ukraine. And I must tell you that our experience in Ukraine, of course, dates back since the independence of Ukraine. But the key situation was in 2014, when I remember saying to our board, ‘Colleagues, this guy is not going to stop on Crimea. This is going to go on.’, and we cut our business in Russia, the big project partnership for modernisation, and repurposed the funds made available this way, in particular in the neighbourhood of Russia, in particular in Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.

We are very, very serious when it comes to this. Marek Belka asked what is going to be our role once the war is over and we do the reconstruction. First, the reconstruction must start now, not when the ink on the peace treaty is dry but now, because otherwise the bill is going to be much, much, much higher. But then we need to support Ukraine on its way towards the membership in the European Union. Some people have a horror vision of that happening. I think it’s a great opportunity. We underestimate the power and the strength, the potential that is with the people of Ukraine.

So we will be able to continue this strategic work in Ukraine and around Ukraine only if we can borrow money for that. And, to be quite blunt, if you finance the same hospital on the same bridge for the second and third time because the Russians have come back and destroyed the bridge again, then you need to have a convincing argument vis-à-vis your private sector investors who buy your bonds. Well, that reassurance for them comes from the budgetary support that we get from the European Union via guarantees. And I hope that we will be able to resume that very, very soon because this is absolutely vital. Now, for the transition period, we have set up a fund, which is supported by many Member States, and I hope we will be covering the rest of this year before the revised MFF will be on the table.

There are worries about the lack of EU guarantees for Ukraine right now. There are huge worries for our work in the developing countries in the Global South. The ACP mandate, the Cotonou mandate, was about to run out. It has just been prolonged by a couple of months and then we’ll be back to square one. That means by then, maybe at the end of this year on 1 November, the EIB will not have a banking license anymore in 79 countries of the world. Do we want to do this disgrace to the European Union? When we talk about the role of Europe in the Global South, please have this on your plate as well, when we talk about the future of the bank and Europe.

So thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to speak again here today. I think in some cases I’ll have to come back to you individually. Thank you very much, good luck.

  President. – Thank you very much, President Hoyer. Please allow me to join the many colleagues in congratulating you for your great leadership during your two terms at the head of the European Investment Bank. Good luck for your next challenges.

  Stefan Berger, Berichterstatter. – Herr Präsident! Ich glaube, diese Debatte hat gezeigt, dass wir uns im Grundsatz einig sind, dass wir mit der EIB ein Instrument haben, das den politischen Zielen, die wir alle in diesem Haus mehrheitlich verfolgen, Rechnung trägt. Ich finde, in der Rede von Präsident Hoyer, gerade jetzt, in den Abschlussworten, ist noch einmal klar geworden, wie wichtig es ist, dass wir ein Instrument haben, das Wirtschaftspolitik durch Kreditvergabe ermöglicht.

Weil ich diese Debatte nicht mehr zusammenfassen möchte, möchte ich auch damit schließen, Ihnen, Herr Hoyer, als Berichterstatter in diesem Jahr auch noch einmal Dank für Ihre Arbeit zu sagen. Sie haben dieses Konstrukt in der letzten Dekade in einer Art und Weise positioniert, wie es vorher wahrscheinlich nicht denkbar war, und ohne die EIB wäre die Handlungsfähigkeit der EU wesentlich begrenzter.

Deshalb, meine Damen und Herren, sage ich noch einmal: Vielen Dank für den Bericht. Vielen Dank für Ihre jahrelange Kärrnerarbeit, die Sie geleistet haben. Sie haben sich hohe Verdienste erworben um die ökonomische Handlungsfähigkeit der EU, und ich freue mich, wenn wir diesen Bericht denn morgen auch annehmen.

  Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, Berichterstatterin. – Herr Präsident! Herr Präsident Hoyer, auch noch mal von meiner Seite ganz herzlichen Dank! Nach all dem, was wir hier gehört haben, war das wirklich ausschließlich oder fast überwiegend positiv zu Ihrer persönlichen Arbeit, aber auch zu dem, wie Sie die Bank aufgestellt haben. Wir haben hier die ganzen Probleme besprochen, und es scheint so zu sein, dass Sie sich durch die Krisen durchgearbeitet haben, auch dass Sie mit den Krisen nicht untergegangen sind, und das ist in der heutigen Zeit schon nicht selbstverständlich. Ich glaube, es ist gut, dass Sie den Fokus auch noch mal darauf gelegt haben. Sie haben gesagt, wir brauchen eine long-term solution, not a bridge solution, und das ist genau der Punkt.

Wir müssen jetzt dahin kommen, wie wir es hinbekommen aus Europa hinaus mit all den Vorgaben, die wir aus unseren Politikfeldern mitbringen – die Unterstützung der kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen ist das eine, aber vor allen Dingen geht es darum, auch die Klimapolitik, die inklusive Politik, die Citizen Approach-Politik so umzusetzen, dass wir insbesondere den Fokus auf die Ukraine so legen, dass dieser Wiederaufbau gelingen kann. Ich glaube, da sind sich die meisten hier im Saal einig: Dazu braucht es eine starke Europäische Investitionsbank, dazu braucht es vereinte Kräfte, dazu braucht es viel politischen Willen und hoffentlich auch eine Kooperationsbereitschaft von der Kommission und vom Europäischen Rat, der, wenn man so zwischen den Zeilen zugehört hat, nicht immer so ganz an der Stelle da ist, wie wir ihn brauchen.

Ich möchte Sie noch auffordern, dass Sie auch mit den anderen europäischen Institutionen, wie zum Beispiel der EUStA , dem OLAF und dem ERH, gut kooperieren, vielleicht auch die noch stärker unterstützen, dass man da die Synergieeffekte noch besser herausholt, als das in der Vergangenheit der Fall war, und dass wir zum Beispiel als Berichterstatter auch die letzten Zahlen bekommen, wenn wir letztendlich den Entlastungsbericht vorlegen. Das war in diesem Fall nicht möglich, aber ansonsten, denke ich, haben Sie gezeigt über die zwölf Jahre Ihrer Präsidentschaft und auch vorher – wir kennen uns schon aus dem Deutschen Bundestag –, dass Sie mit Ihrer Erfahrung dieser Bank gutgetan haben. Ich hoffe, dass das für die Zukunft auch so bleibt. Vielen Dank für Ihre Zusammenarbeit, und in diesem Sinne einen hoffentlich friedlichen Ruhestand.

  President. – The joint debate is closed.

The vote will take place tomorrow.

Written statements (Rule 171)

  Alin Mituța (Renew), în scris. – 2022 a fost un an dificil, inclusiv pentru Banca Europeană de Investiții. Eforturile BEI au jucat un rol semnificativ în sprijinirea Ucrainei în această perioadă. De asemenea, doresc să subliniez importanța investițiilor în sectoarele cheie ale economiei Republicii Moldova, acestea accelerând procesul de aderare la Uniunea Europeană.

BEI trebuie să continue să își îndeplinească rolul tradițional de investitor în infrastructură și coeziunea Uniunii. De exemplu, în 2022, în țara mea, România, BEI a mobilizat 1 miliard de euro sprijinind, printre altele, construirea unui nou spital regional în Craiova și finanțarea universităților din Cluj-Napoca și Târgu Mureș.

Există totuși câteva domenii în care banca poate fi mai activă. Nu trebuie să uităm de zonele miniere, iar pentru asta avem nevoie ca BEI să ofere sprijin consultativ potențialilor beneficiari din zonele cele mai afectate pentru pregătirea și implementarea proiectelor finanțate prin Mecanismul pentru o tranziție justă.

BEI ar trebui, de asemenea, să aibă un rol mai proeminent în sprijinirea sectoarelor agriculturii, alimentației și pescuitului, care sunt adesea uitate. Nu în ultimul rând, BEI ar trebui să aprofundeze cooperarea cu OLAF și EPPO.

  Andżelika Anna Możdżanowska (ECR), na piśmie. – Od kilku lat Europejski Bank Inwestycyjny pełni funkcję „banku klimatycznego”, wspierając państwa członkowskie w zielonej transformacji. Bez tego wsparcia sprostanie zielonej agendzie byłoby dla państw członkowskich o wiele bardziej kosztowne.

Polska ma strategiczne i bardzo dobre relacje z EBI, które zaowocowały zaangażowaniem w wysokości 5,45 mld EUR w 2022 r. Zgadzam się, że należy podkreślić znaczenie Banku dla realizacji polityk UE, jego rolę w budowaniu spójności i zaangażowanie na Ukrainie, a przede wszystkim intensyfikację działań na rzecz MŚP.

EBI musi w większym stopniu zaangażować się w europejskie bezpieczeństwo obronne, żywnościowe i energetyczne. Mankamentem sprawozdania – oraz swoistym kuriozum – jest apel o dostosowanie działalności EBI do mechanizmu warunkowości RoL. Pomijając fakt, że EBI działa poza mechanizmami budżetowymi UE, a jego udziałowcami są państwa członkowskie – to nawet nie sposób sobie wyobrazić, jak miałoby wyglądać takie dostosowanie działalności EBI do mechanizmu warunkowości.

Kolejnym problematycznym dla mnie punktem jest potraktowanie dobrego ratingu EBI jako argumentu na rzecz możliwości podejmowania przez niego większego ryzyka w finansowaniu projektów. Taką zachętę do ryzykownych inwestycji uważam za nieodpowiedzialną. Apeluję do EBI o nieuleganie presji i twarde trzymanie się zasad trzeźwej oceny rentowności inwestycji, także tych „zielonych”.

  Alfred Sant (S&D), in writing. – The report presents a set of valid recommendations for the EIB. We believe that, as a public bank, it must do more to stimulate investment where lagging. Especially, it must achieve a stronger level of social investment, not least in relation to climate change. This applies as well with regard to further investment towards the decarbonisation of air and water transport. A vital aim here is to soften the impact on regions hardest hit by new measures needed to combat climate change - especially islands.

One very delicate matter for this report and a major point for the S&D is the internal governance of the Bank. There exists a dysfunctional relation between staff and management, with a negative impact on EIB output. Meanwhile, the EIB remains the only EU institution that does not recognise its employees’ right to join a trade union, contradicting the EU’s basic values and ILO recommendations. We request a change of policy on this matter.

Now, a final remark on the report’s position regarding defence spending. I have accepted this position as an S&D shadow, but personally, I disagree. That the EIB should back the weapons industry is unacceptable, for this is, and should remain, outside the remit of the EU and all its institutions.