European Investment Bank annual report for 2001

The committee adopted the own-initiative report by Ieke van den BURG (PES, NL) on the EIB annual report for 2001. The committee welcomed the EIB's decision to increase capital spending by 50% and to provide emergency flood relief, but repeated Parliament's recommendation that investments in renewable energy, social infrastructure, housing, health and education be increased. It also renewed its appeal to introduce an employment impact assessment of EIB-backed projects and urged the EIB to give Parliament a thorough evaluation of the economic and environmental effects of its efforts to implement the EU's policy on climate change. Help for the candidate countries should be improved through setting up a special programme concentrating on social policy and the committee would also like to see more assistance for the Balkans. Other issues taken up in the report included transparency and institutional questions, especially financial control and audit.�