By letter of 21 July 2005, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland nominated Ms Catriona Laing (Head of International Division Advisory Department at the Department for International Development- DFID) for appointment as alternate member of the Bank's Board of Directors to succeed Ms Turner, who has resigned.
On 22 August 2005, the Governors of the EIB were invited by written procedure to vote on the proposed appointment. The decision to appoint Ms Laing was taken on 16 September 2005, the date on which the Bank received the requisite majority of votes in favour by the Governors.
Ms Catriona Laing has been appointed for the remainder of her predecessor's term of office, which will expire in 2008 at the end of the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors in which the annual report, balance sheet and profit and loss account for the 2007 financial year are examined.