Press Release: EIB accepts Ombudsman’s recommendation concerning Spanish high-speed train project

The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, welcomed the European Investment Bank's (EIB) decision to document its reviews of environmental impact assessments more effectively. This followed a complaint from a resident of Barcelona, who alleged that a planned high-speed railway line going through Barcelona, which is co-financed by the EIB, would cause serious environmental damage.

During his investigation, the Ombudsman did not find any record of a proper review by the EIB of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the tunnel project through Barcelona. The Bank stressed that the EIA had been carried out correctly. However, it accepted the Ombudsman's recommendation to document its reviews of EIAs in the future in order to meet the highest standards of good administration.