19 Amendments of Angelika WINZIG related to 2023/2229(INI)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Appreciates the fact that the EIB is always ready to adapt and reinvent itself in line with changing EU policy requirements, while respecting its long- term goals;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its call for a capital increase to enable more long-term repayable financial support and innovative instruments; notes that this is necessary for supporting key real economy investments that would not be made otherwise and that have the potential to maximise innovation gains in key EU policy areas such as the twin transition, for helping mitigate high energy prices, skills gaps and insufficient investments in innovation and new technologies; expects the EIB to ensure that its financing contributes to addressing market failures and avoids crowding-out effects, without increacompromising itsthe overall financing costsattractiveness of its financial offer;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the role of the European Investment Fund in improving access to finance for smaller EU companies, mid- caps and start-ups and thereby its support to entrepreneurship, growth, innovation, research and development, and employment in the Union; points out that stable energy supply at competitive prices is one of the foundations of a successful industrial policy, and in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); calls on the EIB to provide additional growth capital to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to scale up their operations;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Recalls that SMEs are the backbone of Europe’s economy; recalls that the EU’s 23 million SMEs account for 99 % of all businesses and are responsible for around three quarters of all jobs; points out that the energy crisis and the consequences of Russia’s war in Ukraine pose further challenges for them;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Notes the ongoing high level of inflation and, in this regard, asks the EIB to assess the potentially greater financial needs on a project-by-project basis;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6 c. Urgently calls for increased support for SMEs and mid-cap companies amid the current challenges of soaring energy costs, increasing raw material prices, and rising interest rates; recognizes that SMEs often grapple with limited administrative resources and face steeper borrowing costs than large corporations due to less favourable bank loan terms and finds it imperative to offer them financing tools that are straightforward and easily accessible; strongly encourages the EIB, therefore, to design its programmes in a manner that significantly reduces red tape and regulatory burden, thereby enhancing their accessibility for SMEs;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6 d. Stresses the need for the EIB to have a strong focus on start-ups and projects directed at tackling the growing problem of youth unemployment, including the so-called dual apprenticeship-model that proved to be effective and successful in some Member States, with a view to creating secure and high-quality jobs;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6 e. Urges the EIB to increase support directed at scaling up European start-ups, including by taking greater risks in disbursing venture capital to ensure that European start-ups can scale up inside rather than outside the EU;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the EIB to develop a method of assessing the green funding gap inTakes note of the findings in the EIB "Investment Report 2022/2023: Resilience and renewal in Europe.", which analyses the investment climate across the EU and investment gaps in various sectors; recalls that the Commission and other international bodies produce specific assessments of green investment funding gaps that could be of use for the EUIB;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. ExpectWelcomes that the Bank has already met its target to devote at least half of its resources to climate action and environmental sustainability; commends the review of theEIB’s Climate Bank Roadmap in 2024 to bring the EIBand Energy Lending Policy, which confirms that the Bank is on track to meet its targets to support EUR 1 trillion in green investments by 2030; expects the next review of the Climate Bank Roadmap to bring the EIB's internal operations and newly financed operations fully into line with the 1.5 degree pathway and the target of climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest; believes that the benchmark should be the most ambitious public banking practices; reiterates its call to include a solid assessment of less carbon- intensive alternatives and ‘scope 3’ emissions for each project;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for the full implementation of the PWelcomes the Paris Alignment of counterparties (PATH) and expects its full implementation; reiterates its call for financial intermediaries Alignment for Counterpartiand not only corporate clients to have decarbonisation plans as soon as possible and by the end of 2025 at the latest; expects the exemptions granted under the Paris Alignment’s framework instresses that such new requirements must not be to the detriment of access to finance for SMEs; welcomes the EIB's response to the emergency energy situation in the EU by adapting the PATH framework in order to be able to speed up the green transition and to end Europe's dependencies on fossil-fuels imports, including from Russia; in this context, welcomes the EIB's increase of the support tof REPowerEU to be exceptional, temporary and fully justifiednow EUR 45 billion in loans and equity financing for projects in the area of renewables, energy efficiency, grids and storage, electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, and breakthrough technologies over the next years;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reiterates that corporate clients are contractually required to create and publish credible decarbonisation plans; is concerned that the EIB has signed contracts with corporate clients regardless of whether they have published these plans; expects the EIB to systematically evaluate the credibility of these plans, applying decarbonisation criteria compatible with the 1.5 degree target before signing any new financial commitments;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Takes note of theWelcomes upscaled investment in hydrogen; insists that the role of hydrogen is to reduce emissions from hard-to-abate industrial sectors; expects additionality to be ensured so as to avoid diverting resources from existing renewable electricity; is concerned about the significant impacts of hydrogen projects on the water supply in a context of increasing drought, as well as its impact on biodiversity; is concerned about de-risking private investments for large- scale green hydrogen projects, in particular in view of their limited commercial viabilitynvites the EIB to offer its advisory expertise to the EU hydrogen ecosystem and to assist the development of the green hydrogen market;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. EWelcomes the first common principles for nature-positive finance published by the EIB together with other Multilateral Development Banks at COP28; expects the EIB to continue engageing more actively in nature-positive and biodiversity-enhancing investments and in sectors with the greatest biodiversity co- benefits, such as water, sanitation, forestry and the ocean, with the highest level of integrity and assurances and integrating the lessons learned from the Natural Capital Financing Facility;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Expects the EIB to continue to apply stringent EU animal welfare standards and applicable legislation, including for breeding activities and feed in fish farming, based on the highest standard set by multilateral financial institutionsthe EU and international best practice;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Expects EIB Global’s activities to remain aligned with EU strategic interests and external policy objectives; expects EIB Global to ensure that investments clearly benefit recipient communities, by safeguarding natural heritage, enhancing climate resilience, creating local jobs and alleviating poverty; welcomes the EIB’s involvement in the Global Gateway initiative, which will principally support investments in infrastructure and SMEs, thereby contributing to the EU’s objective of enhancing its strategic autonomy;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Reiterates its call for clear and binding rules to complement the information note summarising EIB Global’s approach to human rights, in particular on assessment and disengagement; expresses particular concern that, since 2015, the EIB has not required project promoters to carry outTakes note of the EIB’s approach of assessing human rights aspects at project level, which consists of the full integration of human rights considerations in the context of the EIB’s environmental anyd standalone human rights impact assessmentsocial due diligence;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Is concerned that the EIB is falling behind other public financial institutions in terms of transparency and in ensuring that no harm is done byTakes note that the EIB its intermediated investments, as it rated onlyrated ‘fair’ on the 2023 Foreign Direct Investment Transparency Index; recalls thaton the EIB’s transparency policy runs counter to the presumption of disclosure and is not aligned with the applicable exceptions listed in Regulation (EC) No 1049/20013 and Regulation (EC) No 1367/20064 ; urges the EIB to implement the European Ombudsman’s recommendations of 20 November 2023 from Case 2252/2022/OAM and of 21 April 2022 from Case 1251/2020/PB to allow for a meaningful assessment of the environmental and social aspects of projects it is considering for funding; _________________ 3 Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43). 4 Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on the application of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters to Community institutions and bodies (OJ L 264, 25.9.2006, p. 13). to work on the identified areas for improvement in that regard; recalls that the EIB Group's Transparency Policy is fully based on EU legislation;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Welcomes the launch of the Development Finance Institutions Transparency Index in 2023 and the fact that the associated report ranks the EIB at a similar level to peer development finance institutions in a number of areas, including financial intermediaries and environmental, social and governance and accountability to communities; calls for clear and comprehensive information to be shared with the EU institutions, in particular Parliament;