After a complaint is deemed admissible, an initial assessment will be conducted:

• to clarify the concerns raised by the complainant(s), to better understand the complainants’ allegations as well as the views of other stakeholders (project promoter, national authorities, …) views, and to have view on the situation on the ground;
• to understand the validity of the concerns raised regarding social and environmental issues or EIB governance;
• to assess the feasibility of seeking resolution of the complaint;
• to determine if further work is necessary and/or possible from the EIB-CM (investigation, compliance review or mediation between the parties) to resolve the issues raised by the complainant(s).

Assessments will include:

• meetings with the relevant EIB management and staff;
• review of EIB documentation;
• review of external information;
• meetings with complainants, other affected people, the project promoter, relevant public authorities and interested civil society organisations;
• fact-finding visits.

The opportunities for collaborative problem solving are assessed by:

• identifying the relevant stakeholders;
• understanding their views and willingness to resolve the issues;
• identifying optimal processes to enable EIB-CM to achieve resolution;
• assessing the possibility of agreement on a problem resolution process.

For those projects that raise substantial concerns regarding social or environmental outcomes or seriously question the governance of objects or vehicles of EIB financing:

• understanding how the EIB has ensured (i) compliance with applicable frameworks (laws, rules and regulation, EIB policies and standards and (ii) appropriate project performance;
• assessing indications that EIB policies, standards and guidelines could have failed to provide an adequate safeguard;
• identifying any indications of non-compliance with applicable frameworks (laws, rules and regulation, EIB policies and standards);

After this work a decision on whether to proceed and suggested courses of action are highlighted in an Initial Assessment Report.