ANALYSING THE EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK

Interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the past, present and future of the world’s biggest lender.

Venue: University of Luxembourg, Belval Campus,

11, Porte des Sciences, 4366 Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg

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Date: 10-11 July 2019

PROGRAM

10 July 2019

09.00 – 09.15:   Registration

09.15 - 09.45: Welcome and Introduction: David Howarth (Institute of Political Science, University of Luxembourg) and Helen Kavvadia (Institute of Political Science, University of Luxembourg).

09.45 - 11.00: Session 1: Historical insights into the EIB’s operation

Chair: Lucia Coppolaro (University of Padova)

Bernard Gordon  (Sorbonne Université) – From the European Project to European Projects – Sixty years of French presence and influence at the European Investment Bank (1958-2018);

Ilaria Pasotti (Independent researcher and collaborator of Intesa Sanpaolo Group Historical Archives) and Barbara Costa (Head of Intesa Sanpaolo Group Historical Archives) – The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Istituto Mobiliare Italiano (IMI): a neglected relationship in the EIB's activity in Italy (1968-1978);

Donatella Strangio (Universita Roma La Sapienza) and PaoloTedeschi (Milan Bicocca University) – Developing the Mediterranean Europe: The EIB and the financing of Italy and Greece (1960s-1970s);

Discussant: Eric Bussiére (Sorbonne Université)

11.00 - 11.15: Coffee break

11.15 - 12.45: Session 2: EIB impact in European regions

Chair: René Leboutte (University of Luxembourg)

Zareh Asatryan (ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research) and Annika Havlik (ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research) – The Political Economy of Multilateral Lending to European Regions;

Andrzej Jakubowski (Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin) – The impact of the European Investment Bank loans on regional economic growth and cohesion in the European Union;

Moritz Liebe (University of Trier) and David Howarth (University of Luxembourg) - The European Investment Bank as policy entrepreneur and the promotion of Public-Private Partnerships; 

Discussant: Paolo Tedeschi (Università di Milano Bicocca-DEMS)

13.00 - 14.15: Lunch

14.15 - 15.45: Session 3: Insights into EIB decision-making

Chair:  Joachim Schild (University of Trier)

Dan Beizsley (Utrecht University/Eötvös Loránd University) – A critical appraisal? Identifying weaknesses in the EIB project assessment phase;

Mateu Turró (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) – The European Investment Bank as a major player in EU urban policy;

Eugene Chao (The Wharton Business School) and Vukan R, Vuchic (University of Pennsylvania) – Quo Vadis: Infrastructure Investment - A Return to the Imperative Action;

Discussant: Stephany Griffith Jones (Columbia University)

15.45 - 16.15: Coffee break

16.15 - 17.45: Session 4: Assessing EIB efforts to counter the recent economic crisis 

Chair: David Howarth (University of Luxembourg)

Stephany Griffith-Jones (Columbia University) and Natalya Naqvi (The London School of Economics) – The Juncker Plan (EFSI) and the EIB; assessing achievements and limitations;

Loredana Federico (UniCredit Research) – What has the “Juncker Plan” achieved?

Emanuela Pistoia (University of Teramo)  – Supporting the development of the internal market at the peak of the crisis. Legal challenges in the role of the EIB;  

Discussant:  Eric Perée (The European Investment Bank)   

19.00: Dinner 

11 July 2019

09.15 - 11.00: Session 5: The Political Economy of EIB action

Chair: Robert Harmsen (University of Luxembourg)

Dora Piroska (Corvinus University of Budapest) – Contrasting EIB and EBRD’s role in post-accession Eastern Europe;

Stuart Shields (University of Manchester) – Never waste a crisis: The European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Bank Coordination Initiative;

Daniel Mertens (Goethe University of Frankfurt) and Matthias Thiemann (Sciences Po) – The post-crisis ascent and growing politicisation of the European Investment Bank;

Discussant: Alexander Kentikelenis (Bocconi University)

11.00 - 11.15: Coffee break

11.15 - 12.15:  Conclusions by discussants: Eric Bussiére, Paolo Tedeschi, Eric Perée, David Howarth, and

closure by Lucia Coppolaro and Helen Kavvadia

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13.00 - 15.00: EIB visit and Lunch 

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16.00 – 17.00: Optional guided tour at the EIB art collection.

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