Researching the EU–WB cooperation

The European Union (EU) and the IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, hereinafter World Bank) are currently the two major multilateral actors in development policy. In addition to being a key player in the world trade system and the largest provider of foreign direct investment (FDI), ¹ the EU and its member states (MS) are collectively the most generous donor worldwide, supplying Euros 75.5 bn, or almost 60% of total development assistance (European Commission–DG DEVCO 2017a). ² In turn, the World Bank is the major multilateral development bank, and the sole with a global vocation, having provided more than USD 500 bn loans since its creation (World Bank 2007a). The EU-cum-MS tops the donors’ list, accounting for approximately 60% of the World Bank’s contributed resources. ³ In recent years, both organizations have made tangible progress to increase transparency on their relations. Yet, surprisingly little is known about why EU’s aid allocation through the World Bank (‘channeling’) takes place, and to what effect, for citizens in donor and lending states.