Request for information on EU funding and EIA Directive implementation in the Czech Republic
Dear European Investment Bank,
Under the right of access to documents in the EU treaties, as developed in Regulation 1049/2001, I am requesting documents which contain the following information:
I would like to request the following specific information regarding EU funds allocated to the Czech Republic and any related actions due to incorrect implementation of Directive 2011/92/EU (EIA Directive):
1. EU funds available and used for trans-European infrastructure projects:
Please provide information for each of the following programming periods (2007–2013, 2014–2020, 2021–2027):
a) What was the total amount of EU funding available to the Czech Republic for the TEN-T trans-European infrastructure (including transport and other infrastructure)?
b) How much funding was actually used by the Czech Republic in each period?
c) What specific projects or types of infrastructure were funded, and by which mechanisms?
2. Infringement-related actions due to incorrect transposition of the EIA Directive:
For each of the above periods, please specify:
a) Were any formal decisions made by the European Commission to suspend or restrict funding due to incorrect implementation of the EIA Directive or other environmental laws?
b) If yes, please provide the relevant decisions or documentation, and detail the legal provisions of EU law that the Czech Republic was found to have violated.
3. Other measures taken due to incorrect implementation (if no formal decisions):
If no formal decisions to suspend funding were issued, were other measures taken by EU institutions due to the incorrect transposition of the EIA Directive or other environmental legislation?
If so, please provide details and documents related to these actions and identify the EU institutions involved.
Thank you very much for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Beata Sabolova
Corporate Use
Dear Ms. Sabolova,
Thank you for your e-mail to the European Investment Bank (EIB), the long-term financing institution of the European Union.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your query. In accordance with the provisions of the EIB Group Transparency Policy, we will revert to you without delay and in any case within 15 working days from the date of receipt of your request.
In line with Article 5.23 and 5.24 of the EIB Group Transparency Policy, should we consider your request to be complex, we will endeavour to provide a reply no later than 30 working days following receipt.
We thank you in advance for your understanding and remain at your disposal should you need any further update on the handling of your query by the EIB.
Yours sincerely,
Infodesk Team
European Investment Bank
[EIB request email]
_____________________________________
For more details concerning EIB procedures for handling information requests, please refer to the EIB Group "Transparency Policy": (https://www.eib.org/en/publications/eib-...). If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
Corporate Use
Dear Ms. Sabolova,
We refer to your message of 21 May 2025 sent to the European Investment
Bank (EIB) via the AsktheEU.org website, requesting information regarding
EU funds allocated to the Czech Republic and any related actions due to
incorrect implementation of Directive 2011/92/EU (EIA Directive). We also
refer to our acknowledgement of receipt of 22 May 2025. Your request has
been handled on the basis of the EIB Group Transparency Policy
(EIB-TP)[1]^^[1], which applies to such requests addressed to the EIB.
In response to your questions, we would first like to clarify that the EIB
loans do not constitute "EU funding". The EIB raises the vast majority of
its funds by issuing bonds on the international capital markets. These
funds are then used to finance loans and investments in projects aligned
with EU policy goals.
Within this context, we would like to inform you that all EIB-financed
projects in the Czech Republic are published on the Bank’s website and can
be searched by date and sector:
[2]https://www.eib.org/en/projects/all/inde....
We would also like to inform you that issues related to the use of EU
funds and infringements due to incorrect transposition of the EIA
Directive are handled by the European Commission. We would therefore
suggest that you address your questions directly to the European
Commission ([3]https://commission.europa.eu/index_en).
We hope this information is useful and remain at your disposal should you
need any further clarifications[4]^^[2].
Yours sincerely,
Infodesk Team
European Investment Bank
[5][EIB request email]
……….
^^[1]
[6]https://www.eib.org/en/publications/eib-...
^2 In line with Art. 5.31 EIB-TP, in case of a total or partial refusal
following your initial application, you have the right to make a
confirmatory application asking the Bank to reconsider its position or
lodge a complaint with the EIB Group Complaints Mechanism.
_____________________________________
For more details concerning EIB procedures for handling information
requests, please refer to the EIB Group "Transparency Policy":
([7]https://www.eib.org/en/publications/eib-...
). If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
Dear EIB´s Infodesk Team,
Thank you for your prompt reply of 22 May 2025 regarding my information request of 21 May 2025. I appreciate your clarification on the nature of EIB financing and the link to your project database.
To help me better understand the Bank’s environmental due-diligence procedures, could you please provide:
The EIB’s procedures and standards for assessing whether project financing conditions are met, in particular with regard to compliance with Directive 2011/92/EU (as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU) on environmental impact assessment.
In addition, I would be grateful for clarification on the following specific projects:
1. Prague Ring Road Section D0 511 Bechovice–D1:
– EIB documentation notes that this project falls under Annex I of Directive 2014/52/EU, underwent a full EIA procedure, and received a favourable environmental decision on 27 November 2017 following "national and regional legislation" and public consultation.
Question: Was the Bank’s approval based directly on compliance with the requirements of the EU EIA Directive itself, or solely on fulfilment of the implementing national/regional legislation? If so, what kind of regional legislation does it refers to?
2. Prague – Kladno Rail PPP
– According to the national EIA portal (EIA_MZP075), the Ministry of the Environment extended the validity of the EIA statement originally issued on 16 January 2013 until 20 December 2024 (decision no. MZP/2024/710/4436).
Question: Does this extension on as it stand satisfy the EIB’s requirements for EIA compliance, or will the Bank require a new EIA report? If the extension is deemed sufficient, please explain why.
If not, what conditions or standards should new EIA fulfill in order to be aligned with the EU Directive EIA?
3. Prague Metro Line D1 Phase I – Green Loan – The City of Prague extended the 2012 EIA statement until 2 November 2024 by decision no. MHMP 292331/2020 of 6 April 2020 (portal record EIA_PHA777).
Question: Does this extended statement meet the EIB’s EIA requirements, or will the Bank require a fresh EIA? If the extension suffices, please specify why. If a new EIA is necessary, under which conditions should it be carried out?
Thank you in advance for your assistance. I look forward to your detailed clarifications.
Yours sincerely,
Beata Sabolová
Corporate Use
Dear Ms. Sabolova,
Thank you for your follow-up e-mail to the European Investment Bank (EIB), the long-term financing institution of the European Union.
We hereby acknowledge receipt of your query. In accordance with the provisions of the EIB Group Transparency Policy, we will revert to you without delay and in any case within 15 working days from the date of receipt of your request.
In line with Article 5.23 and 5.24 of the EIB Group Transparency Policy, should we consider your request to be complex, we will endeavour to provide a reply no later than 30 working days following receipt.
We thank you in advance for your understanding and remain at your disposal should you need any further update on the handling of your query by the EIB.
Yours sincerely,
Infodesk Team
European Investment Bank
[EIB request email]
_____________________________________
For more details concerning EIB procedures for handling information requests, please refer to the EIB Group "Transparency Policy": (https://www.eib.org/en/publications/eib-...). If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.
Corporate Use
Dear Ms. Sabolová,
Thank you again for your e-mail and interest in the European Investment Bank (EIB).
We would like to inform you that your request is still being handled by the EIB in accordance with the provisions of the EIB Group Transparency Policy (https://www.eib.org/en/publications/eib-...).
Given the complexity of your request, and in line with Articles 5.23 and 5.24 of the EIB Group Transparency Policy, we have extended the time limit to respond. The Bank will endeavour to provide a reply to such complex requests no later than 30 working days following receipt.
We thank you in advance for your understanding and remain at your disposal should you need any further update on the handling of your query by the EIB.
Yours sincerely,
Infodesk Team
European Investment Bank
[EIB request email]
_____________________________________
For more details concerning EIB procedures for handling information requests, please refer to the EIB Group "Transparency Policy": (https://www.eib.org/en/publications/eib-...). If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.