February 6-7 - Members of the European Parliament Visit the World Bank: Towards Greater Aid Effectiveness

Constructive engagement between the World Bank and the European Parliament is vital to the effectiveness and governance of the aid provided by the EU and the Bank Group. This was the core message from the meetings between visiting Members of the European Parliament and the Bank Group’s senior management.

On February 6-7 Marwan Muasher, senior vice president for External Relations, invited a 12 person delegation of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to meet with President Robert Zoellick and members from the Bank and IFC senior management teams. The discussions between the representatives of two of the largest players on the international development scene centered on key global economic and development issues, including: aid effectiveness, climate change, human development, trade and private sector development. The visit represented the first ever official mission of the European Parliament to the World Bank.

Welcoming the parliamentarians to the Bank, Zoellick stated that dialogue with MEPs complemented the transparency and openness of the Bank to external appraisal. Their ensuing discussions focused on the Bank’s six strategic themes with the Parliamentarians expressing particular interest in the focus on global public goods and poorer countries. Beyond the six strategic themes, Zoellick also made a pitch to the MEPs to give greater attention to the problem of malnutrition, describing the issue as the forgotten MDG.

                                                  WB President Zoellick meets with the European

                                                  Parliament Delegation

In discussions with OPCS Vice President Jeff Gutman on aid harmonization, the parliamentarians called for greater alignment between the frameworks used by the Bank and the EU for country programs, i.e. the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, the Bank Group’s Country Assistance Strategies and the EC’s Country Strategy Papers.

A meeting on climate change and the environment with World Bank Environment Sector Director Warren Evans was particularly lively in light of ongoing discussions between the Bank and the EU to raise additional funds to tackle climate change. Here, both parties emphasized the importance of mainstreaming climate change concerns in all areas of the EU and the Bank’s work.  

Another area of particular interest to the Parliamentarians was the Bank’s activities on human development. In a meeting with Human Development Vice President, Joy Phumaphi, the MEPs, amongst other issues, explored possibilities with Bank officials on better supporting developing countries access to medicines.

On planned free trade agreements between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, Bank Vice Presidents Danny Leipziger, PREM, and Obiageli Ezekwesili, Africa, concurred with the MEPs that forthcoming negotiations following the interim agreements reached in December 2007 should give greater focus to development.

                                                  VP Obiageli Ezekwesili presenting the Bank’s work on

                                                   Africa to the parliamentarians

In addition to discussions with Bank’s senior management (meetings were also held with LAC Vice President Pamela Cox and General Counsel Ana Palacio) the parliamentarians also met with the chair of the Parliamentary Network on the Bank (PNoWB),US Congresswoman Betty McCollum. McCollum highlighted the role of PNoWB’s function in annually bringing together over 300 parliamentarians to meet with the Bank’s president. In response, Josep Borrell the head of the European Parliament delegation and chair of its Development Committee, expressed his hope that, PNoWB becomes one of the channels that the Parliament employs in its future engagement with the Bank.

                                                  Betty McCollum - Chair of the Parliamentary Network

                                                  on the World Bank

Next Steps

Both institutions agreed to further discussions on climate change and the Global Environmental Facility, the Bank’s partnership with the EC on Africa, and IFC’s work on private sector development in the coming months.

They also agreed to explore the possibility of formalizing a system of regular European Parliament missions to the World Bank headquarters. Summing up the Bank’s view of the mission, Muasher stated, “Systematic dialogue with the European Parliament should be an essential part of our efforts to engage with our key shareholders, and harmonize our development approaches with those of other important donors.”

For more information on the European Parliament, contact Guggi Laryea, Communications Associate at the World Bank Brussels Office