Il-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment jeħtieġ li ma jiddejjaqx jieħu deċiżjonijiet riskjużi fejn ikun bżonn

Fl-intervent tiegħu dwar ir-rapport annwali tal-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment għas-sena 2022, fil-Kumitat Ekonomiku u Finanzjarju (ECON) tal-Parlament Ewropew, l-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant irrikonoxxa li l-Bank huwa istituzzjoni ta’ suċċess fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Madanakollu, huwa nnota kif huwa wisq kawt għax il-maġġorparti tal-investiment tiegħu dejjem għamlu ma’ kumpaniji li r-rating ta’ kreditu tagħhom huwa għoli ħafna. F’dawn l-investimenti l-banek kummerċjali setgħu kienu ugwalment effettivi. Wasal iż-żmien li l-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment ikun aktar miftuħ għall-investiment li huwa aktar riskjuż, huwa issuġġerixxa. “Li nibżgħu nieħdu deċiżjonijiet riskjużi f’dan l-istadju, mhux se jgħinna ngħaddu mill-Patt Ekoloġiku Ewropew jew mid-diġitalizzazzjoni, fejn huwa meħtieġ investiment ferm akbar kemm fil-qafas pubbliku kif ukoll fis-settur privat”.

Alfred Sant huwa l-medjatur tas-S&D għar-rapport annwali għas-sena 2022 tal-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment. Il-kwistjonijiet ewlenin li se jkun qed iqajjem matul dan il-proċess jinkludu l-ħtieġa li fl-investimenti tiegħu l-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment ikun aktar sensittiv għall-bżonnijiet ta’ ċertu reġjuni u setturi eknomiċi Ewropej. Kwistjoni oħra hija l-ħtieġa li l-bank jagħti aktar attenzjoni lill-element soċjali tal-finanzjament tiegħu – inkluż f’setturi bħall-akkomodazzjoni, is-settur tal-edukazzjoni u s-saħħa.

L-Ewroparlamentari Laburista saħaq dwar il-ħtieġa li jkun hemm diskussjonijiet Ewropej biex il-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment jidħol għal aktar riskju iżda dan isir b’mod kawt waqt li jibqa’ miftuħ biex jiġġenera aktar u aktar investiment. Sal-lum, din l-isfida ma ġietx indirizzata tajjeb biżżejjed, sostna Sant. Ukoll fil-qasam soċjali l-bank għadu lura fejn jidħlu kwistjonijiet marbuta ma’ governanza u r-responsabbiltà soċjali fit-twettiq ta’ investimenti.

Sadanittant, kompla Sant, il-Bank Ewropew tal-Investiment għandu jagħti prijorità akbar lis-sehem tiegħu fl-investiment relatati man-negozji żgħar u medji. Il-mod kif il-bankek qed ikunu ta’ benefiċċju effettiv għal negozji żgħar u medji mhuwiex daqshekk ċar jew trasparenti, huwa sostna.

Fl-aħħar nett, Sant esprima riżervi dwar il-politika lejn il-personnel tiegħu segwita mill-Banek tal-Investiment Ewropej. Hu kkwota stħarriġ tel-fehmiet fost il-ħaddiema u l-impjegati tal-bank li wera livell għoli ta’ skuntentizza għall-mod kif qed jiġu ttrattati l-kwistjonijiet marbuta mar-riżorsi umani.

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The European Investment Bank needs become less risk averse

In his intervention on the European Investment Bank annual report for 2022, at the European Parliament’s Economic and Financial Committee (ECON), former Prime Minister Alfred Sant acknowledged that the Bank is a successful institution in the European Union. However, he noted that it has played it so safe and has always been greatly investing or featuring in triple A investments, where commercial investments from banking could have been as fruitful. The time is ripe for the European Investment Bank to better open towards riskier investment, he suggested. “Being too risk averse at this stage, is not going to help us going through the green deal or through digitalisation, where much much greater investment is needed both on a public frame and in the private sector”. 

Alfred Sant is the S&D shadow rapporteur for the European Investment Bank 2022 annual report. The main issues that he will be raising during this process include the regional outreach of the European Investment Bank financing and its attractiveness to certain European regions and economic sectors. One other issue is the need to have a stronger focus from the European Investment Bank on the social element of its financing – including in sectors such as housing, education sector and health.

The Labour MEP stressed the need to engage in European discussions to make and help the European Investment Bank become less risk averse but cautious, while open to generate more and more investment. To date, this challenge was not being tackled well enough, Sant claimed. On the social dimension, he argued that the bank still lags on issues of governance and the social responsibility of investments.

Meanwhile, Alfred Sant emphasized that the European Investment Bank should give greater priority its participation in SME investment. The trickle down from the EIB of investment towards SMEs has not been evident, transparent, or effective, he claimed.

Finally, Sant expressed reservations on the human resources policy followed by the European Investment Banks citing staff survey which show a high level of dissatisfaction with the way human resources issues are being dealt with.