The Future Of The European Financial Architecture For Development

The workshop, organised at the request of the Committee on Development (DEVE) on 7 February 2022, provided a brainstorming platform for an exchange of views between Members of the committee, invited experts and various stakeholders, on the future of European Financial Architecture for Development (EFAD). It examined the state of play and the decisions made by the Council to pursue the ‘status quo +’ option, as well as other alternative options and scenarios, such as the establishment of a European Climate and Sustainable Development Bank. It provided recommendations on the best way forward, including on the roles of the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and EU Member States’ development finance institutions, also in the context of the ‘Team Europe’ approach and the implementation of the NDICI-Global Europe regulation. The workshop was accompanied by written briefings by external experts, feeding into the drafting process of the committee’s own-initiative report on the subject-matter. Two panels corresponding to the thematic focus of the experts’ briefings were held as follows: Panel 1: ‘Evaluation of the state of play of the European Financial Architecture for Development’ and Panel 2: ‘The roles of the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and EU Member States’ development finance institutions’. This report compiles the briefings, and a summary of the debate.

Climate change, migration flows, security - growing challenges like these are calling for new responses from EU development policy. Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 will in itself require additional financial resources of up to USD 2.5 trillion every year in middle- and low-income countries. Although the European Union (EU) and its Member States are already the biggest donors worldwide, the amount of public funds available is not enough to reach the SDGs. In their search for solutions, therefore, state and non-state actors are focusing squarely on linking public- and private-sector funding. Faced with ambitious climate targets and China's growing involvement in development finance, the current debate on the EU's future external financing is centred around reforming the institutional architecture. Such reforms are intended to boost green energy and employment in the partner countries and communicate a coherent European model of socioeconomic development to the outside world. While all actors agree that the EU's external financing architecture should be simpler, more visible and more efficient (European Commission, 2018), views on how this could actually be achieved vary widely. This led the Council of the EU to task a high-level Wise Persons Group with formulating various scenarios for creating an EU Development Bank. EU development financing is plagued by conflicting national and supranational interests and often sees institutional concerns prioritised over matters of content. Against this backdrop, we argue that institutional and content-related interests need to be better aligned if development financing is to be made more efficient and more sustainable. In particular, a reformed architecture for the EU's external financing has to do more to reconcile European sustainability and development goals with the needs of partners. Measuring impact against uniform standards will both help to achieve overarching objectives and convey a successful European development model. Given the importance of private capital for development finance, a reformed financial architecture should also consider the interests and rationales of the private sector. However, this will only be a winning formula if social, environmental and human rights standards do not take a back seat.

This volume examines the future of European financial centres in the context of economic and monetary union (EMU). Based on original empirical research, it investigates the relative competitiveness of European financial centres, with special reference to London and Frankfurt, in the context of the single currency debate. Issues covered include: * the evolution of financial centres * optimal design of an international financial centre * financial services regulation and EMU * the competitiveness of world financial centres

The second volume of the history of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) takes up the story of how the Bank has become an indispensable part of the international financial architecture. It tracks the rollercoaster ride during this period, including the Bank’s crucial coordinating role in response to global and regional crises, the calls for its presence as an investor in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa and later Greece and Cyprus, as well as the consequences of conflicts within its original region. It shows how in face of the growing threat of global warming the EBRD, working mainly with the private sector, developed a sustainable energy business model to tackle climate change.Transforming Markets also examines how the EBRD broadened its investment criteria, arguing that transition towards sustainable economies requires market qualities that are not only competitive and integrated but which are also resilient, well-governed, green and more inclusive. This approach aligned with the 2015 Paris Agreement and the international community’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its core set of 17 sustainable development goals. The story of the EBRD’s own transition and rich history provides a route map for building the sustainable markets necessary for future growth and prosperity.

European Financial Systems in the Global Economy provides an overview of sources of finance, types of financial intermediation and financial systems in Europe and their relative importance in the world economy. It describes market mechanisms and prices and gives a broad introduction to the relevant regional financial and monetary issues (including those countries that will join the EU in the future) and makes an ideal primer for those new to the world of finance.

The logic, features and future shape of the new financial architecture of the Eurozone were discussed under Chatham House Rules on the occa- sion of a high-level conference hosted in Florence on 23 April 2015, by the European University Institute in cooperation with Imperial Col- lege London. The conference was attended by central bankers, EU pol- icy-makers, members of the financial industry as well as by academics. The following key conclusions came out from the discussion: 1. Despite its incomplete nature, the Banking Union represents a great achievement in terms of financial stability control, thus ensuring a more resilient euro area. 2. By contrast, the exact objective, scope and institutional capabilities of the Capital Markets Union remain a puzzle to many participants. 3. Risks of regulatory fragmentation arising between the European Union and the Euro Area are somewhat exaggerated, it was overall felt. The existence of European platforms such as the European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS) acts as a safeguard to the integrity of the single market.

Today's international development financing system seems like a collection of disjointed entities that often work at cross purposes without being able to mobilize enough finance for developing countries in their efforts to reduce poverty and improve living standards. This book brings together the vast array of new initiatives in financing mechanisms and proposals to transform the development finance architecture. Based on four different scenarios for the next ten-year period, proposals are made for how to reach an effective system.

The second volume of the history of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) takes up the story of how the Bank has become an indispensable part of the international financial architecture. It tracks the rollercoaster ride during this period, including the Bank's crucial coordinating role in response to global and regional crises, the calls for its presence as an investor in Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa and later Greece and Cyprus, as well as the consequences of conflicts within its original region. It shows how in face of the growing threat of global warming the EBRD, working mainly with the private sector, developed a sustainable energy business model to tackle climate change. Transforming Markets also examines how the EBRD broadened its investment criteria, arguing that transition towards sustainable economies requires market qualities that are not only competitive and integrated but which are also resilient, well-governed, green and more inclusive. This approach aligned with the 2015 Paris Agreement and the international community's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its core set of 17 sustainable development goals. The story of the EBRD's own transition and rich history provides a route map for building the sustainable markets necessary for future growth and prosperity.

Financializations of Development brings together cutting-edge perspectives on socio-political, socio-historical and institutional analyses of the evolving multiple and intertwined financialization processes of developmental institutions, programs and policies. In recent years, the development landscape has seen a radical transformation in the partaking actors, which have moved beyond just multilateral or bilateral public development banks and aid agencies. The issue of financing for sustainable development is now at the top of the agenda for multilateral development actors. Increasingly, development institutions aim to include private actors and to lever in private money to support development projects. Drawing on case studies conducted in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, this book examines the ways in which these private finance actors are enrolled and associated with the conception and implementation of development policies. Beginning with a focus on global actors and private foundations, this book considers the ways in which development funding is raised, managed and distributed, as well as debates at the center of global forums where financialized policies and solutions for development are conceived or discussed. The book assembles empirical research on development programs and demonstrates the social consequences of the financializations of development to the people on the ground. Highlighting the plurality of processes and outcomes of modern-day relations, tools, actors and practices in financing development around the world, this book is key reading for advanced students, researchers and practitioners in all areas of finance, development and sustainability.