The European Investment Bank (EIB) is both an investment bank and a global development bank, active inside the European Union and around the world.
In fact, on account of the volume of its borrowing and lending, the EIB is sometimes described as the largest multilateral development bank (MDB).
As thefinancing institution of the European Union, we focus the bulk of our activity on projects that promote balanced development and integration within the EU.
The EIB also providesfinancialsupport in over a hundred non-EU countrieswith which we have concluded association, partnership or pre-accession agreements and which support the EU's objectives. Our investments in these countries target mainly climate action and environment, basic infrastructure, communications and industrial joint ventures.
Multilateral development banks (MDBs) have a long history of working together, both at institutional and operational level.
Some of the strategic areas of MDB cooperation are:
- Climate action: Coordination is particularly intense in this area, as MDBs play an important part in making theParis agreementa reality. Since 2011,MDBs have been publishing joint reports on climate finance. The European Investment Bank (EIB) tracks climate finance using definitions developed and harmonised in cooperation with peer institutions.
- Impact:The EIB is asignatory of the Operating Principles for Impact Managementsince 2019. Developed by the International Finance Organisation (IFC), the Principles represent a new market standard with the aim of bringing greater transparency, credibility and discipline to the impact investing market. The Principles also seek to maximise social and environmental impact and better returns for investors. Find out more on theEIB Disclosure Statement Operating Principles for Impact Management.
- Migration: Since 2016,various MDBs, including the EIB, have been participating in a working group on migration and forced displacement. Among other collaboration initiatives, they share assessments and identify joint projects as well an innovative financing mechanisms.
- Jobs and growth: Jobs are at the heart of the development community’s objective of ending poverty, in line with theUN sustainable development goals. In cooperation with the other MDBs and interested donor countries, the EIB supports theLet's Work Partnership, which aims at creating more and better private sector jobs globally.
Some recent areas of collaboration among MDBs include mobilisation of private finance, risk management in emerging markets (GEMsdatabase) and blended finance for private sector operations.
Overall, more than a hundred working groups, task forces and expert circles have been set up by MDBs in order to exchange knowledge and develop common standards.
The EIB participates in the annual general meetings of other multilateral banks, notably the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). It is also a shareholder in the latter, alongside the European Union.
Joint publications
- MDB Common Approach to measuring Climate results - April 2024
- Mobilization of Private Finance by Multilateral Development Banks and Development Finance Institutions in 2022
- MDB Common Principles for tracking nature-positive finance
- COP28 MDB Joint statement to boost joint action on climate and development
- 2022 Joint Report on Multilateral Development Banks' Climate Finance
- Joint MDB Methodological Principles for Assessment of Paris Agreement Alignment of New operations
- 2021 Joint Report on Multilateral Development Banks' Climate Finance
- Mobilization of Private Finance by Multilateral Development Banks and Development Finance Institutions - 2020-2021
- DFI Working Group on Blended Concessional Finance for Private Sector Projects - Joint Report, March 2023 update
- DFI Working Group on Blended Concessional Finance for Private Sector Projects - Joint Report, December 2021
- 2020 The first joint report on the Multilateral Development Banks contributions to the SDGs
- 2019 Joint Report on Multilateral Development Banks’ Climate Finance
- 2018 Joint Report on Multilateral Development Banks’ Climate Finance
- DFI Working Group on Blended Concessional Finance for Private Sector Projects - Joint Report, October 2018
- DFI Working Group on Blended Concessional Finance for Private Sector Projects - Summary report 2017
- Joint Statement by the Multilateral Development Banks at Paris, COP21
- Common Principles for Climate Change Adaptation Finance Tracking
- Common Principles for Climate Mitigation Finance Tracking
Among the best known multilateral development banks are:
- African Development Bank
- Asian Development Bank
- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- Caribbean Development Bank
- Central American Bank for Economic Integration
- Council of Europe Development Bank
- European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
- European Investment Bank
- Inter-American Development Bank
- Islamic Development Bank
- New Development Bank
- Nordic Investment Bank
- World Bank
