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European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR)

International Financial Institutions Advisory Group

The International Financial Institutions (IFIs) Advisory Group was established in March 2007 and is chaired by the European Commission (DG Enlargement).
The purpose of the Group is to support and improve overall co-operation between the IFIs and the European Commission in the candidate and potential candidate countries, including co-operation under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).

The Group's members include representatives of:

  • the European Commission
  • the World Bank Group (IBRD/IFC)
  • the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
  • the European Investment Bank (EIB)
  • the Council of Europe Development Bank
  • the Regional Cooperation Council (successor to the Stability Pact)
  • Nordic Investment Bank
  • Nordic Environment Finance Corporation
  • the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank.

The Group:

  • advises on issues high on the political agenda at both regional and national level on the basis of specific needs
  • addresses issues linked to the development of infrastructure, national and regional, including harmonisation of approaches to infrastructure projects;
  • exchanges information and experience and provides advice on the design of new initiatives and programmes
  • identifies/explores possibilities of improving regional financial co-operation between the Commission and IFIs based on the comparative advantages of each institution in the region.
  • can address cross-cutting policy and methodological issues such as:
    • fiscal sustainability and the right financing-mix
    • coherence of IFIs support with national public expenditure programmes
    • preventive measures against crowd-outs of social expenditures
    • Public Private Partnerships
    • transparency in bidding procedures
    • overall public investment prioritisation.

Working groups have been set up for the transport, energy, environment and human development sectors. These cooperate closely with various regional initiatives such as the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the South Eastern Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO), the Energy Community Secretariat (ECS) and the Regional Environmental Council (REC).

Meetings and events
The IFI Advisory Group meets approximately twice a year and its sectoral working groups also meet twice per year.

IFI Advisory Group Plenary Sessions

Transport Working Group

Energy

Environment

Human Development

For any question on the IFI Advisory Group contact:
ELARG-IFIAGatec [dot] europa [dot] eu