latest policy dialogue

12 March 2008, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

An EBRD delegation led by President Lemierre and accompanied by Turan Oz, Alternate Executive Director, Olivier Descamps, Business Group Director, Brigid Janssen, Director of Communications and Mahir Babayev, Senior Political Counsellor office visited Turkmenistan on 12-13 March. Alongside meetings with the President Berdymuhamedov, ministers, diplomats and international agencies based in Ashgabat and representatives of the business community, the EBRD delegation and Tony Myron, Head of the EBRD Ashgabat, also met representatives of the following NGOs operating in the country: Counterpart Consortium Turkmenistan, International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), Keik Okara, Environment Protection Society, Union of Entrepreneurs and Bosporus. The NGOs are active in legal assistance and advice, family and poverty issues, environmental protection and business education. The NGOs and EBRD representatives exchanged views on a number of issues, including NGO activity and registration, individual freedoms such as freedom of movement, mass media, judicial and legal reform, educational provision as well as environmental policies. The NGOs were briefed on the assistance EBRD provides to the Turkmen economy.

28 February 2008, Sofia, Bulgaria

The Vice president on Environment, Procurement and Administration Ms. Brigita Schmognerova visited Bulgaria from 26-28 February. Together with Mr. Nikolay Hadjiyski and Mr. Doncho Barbalovfrom the EBRD resident office, the Vice president met with Energy efficiency centre EnEffect and the Foundation for local government reform. The NGOs and EBRD representatives exchanged views on a number of issues including the importance of the EBRD energy efficiency initiatives and the financing of municipal energy efficiency and environmental projects. The NGOs also learnt about the draft new EBRD strategy and its emphasis on energy efficiency and municipal projects.

27 February 2008, St Petersburg, Russia

The EBRD staff from Environmental and Sustainability and Communications Departments together with a social expert from the International Monetary Fund presented IFI general environmental, social and public consultation requirements for financing to over 50 representatives of public and NGOs. Civil society participants also learnt about the quickest ways to find information of concern on the Bank's website, how to request information and complain to the EBRD. The participants were particularly interested in learning how IFI requirements on information disclosure and public consultations apply to particular projects and how they relate to relevant national requirements, especially in the implementation phase. Some NGOs raised project related concerns and agreed the follow-up activities with relevant EBRD staff.

10 December 2007, Yerevan, Armenia
 
An annual NGO breakfast meeting was held between the Head of EBRD Office in Yerevan, Michael Weinstein, and representatives of the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation, the Civil Society Institute, the Environmental Public Advocacy Centre, the NGO Centre, and the Environmental Consultations and Research Centre. The main topics of the discussion were the strategy and activities of EBRD, political and economic development in Armenia and the business support council initiative. The emphasis was on EBRD projects in SME sector, development of IT projects and the business transparency in the country.

21 March 2007, Sofia, Bulgaria

As a way of preparation for the NGO Programme of the 2007 Annual Meeting (AM), as well as introducing the new head of Sofia RO, James Hyslop, the representatives of Bulgaria Economic Forum, Bulgarian Association of Regional Development Agencies, Center for Energy Efficiency (EnEffect), Center for Environmental Information and Education, For the Earth (Za Zemiata), Transparency International, Institute for Market Economics and Black Sea Regional Energy Centre met Mr Hyslop and Doina Caloianu, Manager of Outreach and NGO relations. NGO participants were keen to learn about the forthcoming country strategy review as well as the review of the PIP and the EP. Still, the Bank’s work in energy sector, particularly in energy efficiency and renewables in Bulgaria, represented the main point of interest.

20 March 2007, Tbilisi, Georgia

Representatives of Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), FINCA Georgia, Oxfam, Eurasia Foundation Georgia, Green Alternative, Georgian Association of Women in Business and Association of Georgian Microfinance organizations met Mike Davey, Director for Caucasus, Moldova and Belarus. The main topics of discussion were environmental and social matters connected to the BTC pipeline project, the development of the SME and MSE sectors, including the Bank’s support for start-ups, especially in rural areas. Georgian NGOs were informed about the implementation of PIP and the Bank’s ETC initiative. Mariam Megvinetuhutsesi, Principal Banker, and Loretta Martikian, Communications Officer, also attended the meeting.

7 March 2007, Baku, Azerbaijan

In the run up to the NGO Programme of the 2007 Annual Meeting (AM), as well as a way of introducing the new head of Baku RO, Aygen Yayikoglu, representatives of Azerbaijan Foundation on Democracy Development and Human Protection, Oil Workers Rights, Caucasus NGO Confederation, Public Financing Monitoring centre, MikroMaliyye Credit Organisation, Open Society Institute Azerbaijan, Eurasia Foundation Azerbaijan and Finca Azerbaijan met Mr Yayikoglu and Doina Caloianu, Manager of Outreach and NGO relations. Azeri NGOs were mostly interested in talking about PIP implementation and project monitoring and also urged the EBRD to invest more in agribusiness and help micro-lending in rural areas. NGOs voiced concerns about corruption and recent setbacks in democracy, including official approaches to civil society.

2 March 2007, St Petersburg, Russia

Representatives of the following environmental NGOs - Assessment Centre ECOM and Baltic Fund for Nature (St Petersburg Society of Naturalists), Green World - Russia, Greenpeace Russia and National Parks – met with EBRD’s NGO Advisor, Biljana Radonjic Ker-Lindsay, to focus on environmental issues in Russia that the NGOs believe should be discussed at the EBRD's Annual Meeting (AM). The NGOs were also informed about the way the EBRD works with NGOs, the implementation of the Public Information Policy (PIP) and the review of the Environmental Policy (EP). The NGOs suggested that a national law on large projects, which does not require environmental impact assessment, and a national energy strategy are two most important concerns that should be discussed at the AM, alongside the potential for renewable energy and energy efficiency, public participation in large-scale projects and the rights of indigenous peoples.

1 March 2007, St Petersburg, Russia

Representatives of Green World-Russia, Bellona, Club of Business Women, St Petersburg Foundation for SME Development, Citizens' Watch and Association Norden met with EBRD’s representatives Bruno Balvanera, head of St Petersburg Resident Office, Robert Coyle, Senior Environmental Advisor, Oxana Zhekhanova, Administrative Assistant, and Biljana Radonjic Ker-Lindsay, NGO Advisor. The meeting was an introduction of the new head of RO, Mr Balvanera, to local NGOs who also had an opportunity to raise issues and concerns to be discussed at the forthcoming Annual Meeting (AM) in Kazan.

The NGOs were informed about the EBRD’s operations in Russia and the way the Bank interacts with NGOs. They were encouraged to contact Mr Balvanera and Ms Zhekhanova, who is in charge of outreach and NGO relations at the RO, if they have any concerns about EBRD’s operations. The participating NGOs learnt about the role of Environment Department, the implementation of the Public Information Policy (PIP) and the review of the Environmental Policy (EP). NGOs suggested that the following issues should be discussed at the AM: the new Energy Strategy, potential for energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, judicial independence and the need for dialogue among NGOs, business and government in Russia.

27 February 2007, Moscow, Russia

As a way of preparation for the NGO Programme of the 2007 Annual Meeting (AM), as well as introducing the new head of Moscow RO, Eric Rasmussen, representatives of WWF Russia, Russian Justice Initiative, Human Rights Centre Memorial, Amnesty International, Russian Microfinance Center and Transparency International Russia met with Mr Rasmussen, Alexander Orlov, Director of Government Relations, and Biljana Radonjic Ker-Lindsay, NGO Relations Advisor.

The EBRD representatives talked to the NGOs about the EBRD’s operations in Russia and the way the Bank interacts with NGOs. Mr Orlov invited the NGOs to get in touch in case they have any concerns regarding the Bank’s operations. The participants also discussed the implementation of the Public Information Policy (PIP), the review of the Environmental Policy (EP) and forthcoming AM in Kazan. The NGOs raised a number of issues to be discussed at the AM including a national law on large-scale projects, lacking environmental impact assessment, a national Energy Strategy, the new NGO law and corruption in SME sector. NGO representatives also expressed the view that there is a need for tripartite dialogue among NGOs, business and government.

27 February 2007, Moscow, Russia

Representatives of Russian business development NGOs - Russian Microfinance Center (RMC) and Fora Fund – met with Irina Dzuhusup, Senior Bank Adviser of Russia Small Business Fund (RSBF), and Biljana Radonjic Ker-Lindsay, NGO Relations Advisor, in the framework of preparations for the 2007 NGO Programme at the Annual Meeting (AM). The RMC represented the concerns of the SME Development NGO Opora. Other invited NGOs could not take part in the meeting for various reasons.

The participants discussed the way EBRD works with financial and non financial intermediaries to finance MSEs and SMEs in Russia; the way the EBRD works with NGOs; the implementation of the Public Information Policy (PIP); and forthcoming AM in Kazan. NGOs suggested that the AM should include the discussion on the position of microfinance institutions in Russia, especially in the light of the forthcoming NGO law, and the role of business development organisations in municipal socio-economic development.

26 February 2007, Moscow, Russia

In the context of the 2007 Annual Meeting (AM) preparations, a meeting was held between the representatives of the Moscow Helsinki Group and Human Rights Watch and the EBRD staff members – Alexander Orlov, Director of Government Relations, Richard Wallis, Senior Communications Advisor, and Biljana Radonjic Ker-Lindsay, NGO Relations Advisor. Other invited NGOs did not attend the meeting for various reasons.

The NGOs were introduced to Mr Orlov, who recently joined the EBRD and would serve as a point of contact for NGOs in Russia. The participants also discussed the way the EBRD works with NGOs, the implementation of the Public Information Policy (PIP) and forthcoming AM in Kazan. The NGOs suggested a number of topics to be raised at the AM, including the way the new NGO law affects foreign non-governmental organisations and the record of Russia in ratifying international human rights instruments.

26 February 2007, Moscow, Russia

Representatives of the following environmental NGOs - European Eco Forum, Biodiversity Conservation Centre and WWF Russia – discussed a number of topics to be raised at the forthcoming Annual Meeting (AM) of the EBRD with Biljana Radonjic Ker-Lindsay, NGO Relations Advisor, at EBRD’s Moscow RO. The participating NGOs communicated the concerns of several invited NGOs which could not take part at the meeting for various reasons. A representative of Greenpeace, who was also unable to come, contributed to the discussion through a letter with proposed topics for the AM.

The participants exchanged views on the way the EBRD works with NGOs, the implementation of the Public Information Policy (PIP), the review of the Environmental Policy (EP) and AM in Kazan. According to the participating environmental NGOs, a pending national law on large-scale projects, not requiring environmental impact assessment, and a national Energy Strategy are two most important concerns to be discussed during the meeting with Environment Department at the AM. The participants also gave a number of constructive suggestions for the ongoing review of EP of the EBRD.