Overlapping lending by the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Abstract

One of the main criticisms of contemporary lending practice by different multilateral public banks in Europe made by scholars and policymakers focuses on overlapping loans, which can create duplications and inefficiencies. However, no database exists on the lending overlaps between these banks. With the aim of analysing these overlaps, all lending by the two major multilateral public banks in Europe, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, were merged into a single database. This new database allows researchers to assess lending overlap, regarding its size, evolution, and geography, facilitating an inquiry into the extent to which banks coordinate this overlapping lending.