RD/COMTD/AFT/11* 
10 November 2023  
 Page: 1/3 
Committee on Trade and Development  
(Aid for Trade)  Original:  English  
 
  
UNOFFICIAL ROOM DOCUMENT1 
COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT – 59TH SESSION ON AID FOR TRADE  
STATEMENT BY THE EUROPEAN BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT  
14 November 2023  
 
 
Comité du commerce et du développement (Aide pour le commerce)  
 
DOCUMENT DE SÉANCE NON OFFICIEL1 
COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT – 59TH SESSION ON AID FOR TRADE  
STATEMENT BY THE EUROPEAN BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT  
14 November 2023  
 
 
Comité de Comercio y Desarrollo (Ayuda para el Comercio)  
 
DOCUMENTO DE SALA NO OF ICIAL1 
COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT – 59TH SESSION ON AID FOR TRADE  
STATEMENT BY THE EUROPEAN BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT  
14 November 2023  
 
_______________  
  
 
* In Original language only/En langue originale seulement/En el idioma original solamente.  
1 Documents issued in the RD series are not official WTO documents. They usually appear in their 
language of submission and will not be translated systematically int o the working languages of the WTO. They 
are intended for use in WTO meeting rooms and are attributed an unofficial symbol for archiving purposes only.  
Les documents de la série RD ne sont pas des documents officiels de l 'OMC. Ils ne paraissent 
généraleme nt que dans la langue dans laquelle ils ont été communiqués et ne seront pas systématiquement 
traduits dans les langues de travail de l'OMC. Ils sont destinés aux salles de réunion de l'OMC et une cote non 
officielle leur est attribuée à des fins d'archiva ge. 
Los documentos de la serie RD no son documentos oficiales de la OMC. Por lo general se distribuyen en 
el idioma en que han sido presentados y no se traduce n sistemáticamente a los idiomas de trabajo de la 
Organización. Se distribuyen para su uso en las salas de reunión de la OMC y se les asigna una signatura no 
oficial a efectos de archivo únicamente.  RD/COMTD/AFT/11  
 
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 AID FOR TRADE  EBRD  INTERVENTION  14 NOVEMBER  20232 
1.1.  In 2023 the EBRD  has continued  to promote  trade and sustainable  growth  and focusing  on a 
broad  geography covering  37 economies  in Emerging  Europe,  Central  Asia and Southern and  Eastern  
Mediterranean.  The Bank welcomes  the focus of the 2023-2024 Aid for Trade  Work Programme  on 
food security and digital connectivity and mainstreaming  of trade.  Let me highlight  with members  of 
the committee  key activities  that are aligned with  and support  the implementation  of the work  
programme.  
1.2.  Food security.  The EBRD  will continue  to work with farmers,  commodity traders  and processors  
of agricultural goods  to promote  exports  in supplier  regions  (Black Sea  region) and at  the same time 
provide  finance  for value chain  efficiency’s  improvements  in importing  countries  (mainly  Northern  
Africa).  
1.3.  Under its Trade Facilitation  Programme  (TFP) EBRD strengthens  the ability  of local banks  to 
provide trade financing  to businesses.  In the first nine months  of 2023,  EBRD’s  trade  facilitation  
programme  supported  €3 billion  of foreign  trade  with and between  EBRD  countries  of which  €130 
million  were related  to agricultural products.  Let me also highlight  that since the war on Ukraine  
started  in February  2022,  the TFP  has supported over  €766 million  in trade transactions  for the most 
crucial  goods,  suchas  the import  of agricultural  machinery and  fertilisers.  This is part of its assistance  
to Ukraine of  over €3  billion  in 2022/23 to  stabilise  the economy  in general  and keep agribusiness  
open and  able to export.  
1.4.  The EBRD  also supports  food net-importing  countries  in their response  to the food security  
crisis,  especially  in the Southern -Mediterranean region. The  investments  help to  meet liquidity  needs  
for the  procurement of  more expensive  imported  agricultural  commodities,  as a result  of rising  food 
prices,  reduced  and uncertain  supplies from  the Black Sea region  as well as exchange -related  
movements  in some  countries.  For example,  the Bank is providing  EUR 150 million  direct  financing  
in favour  of Office  des Cereales  in Tunisa,  a state-owned  enterprise responsible  for the procurement,  
distribution  and storage  of grain in the country.  The funds are used to support the international 
procurement of grain and help address immediate food security risks. The financing is 
complemented  with an over €1 million technical  assistance project,  focusing  on a corporate  
development programme  and sector  reform  to increase  efficiency  of operations  and the resilience  of 
the sector  against  future shocks.  
1.5.  EBRD  also harnesses  its advisory services to small and medium -sized businesses looking  to start  
or expand  their exports  and imports.  In 2022  alone,  the Bank reached  out to over  2,100  SMEs 
through  SME advisory  projects and  over 100,000  SMEs and individual  entrepreneurs  took advantage  
of various  digital  products,  including  via digital platforms. For  example,  the recently  launched  
Innovation  for Food  and Energy  Resilience in  SEMED  aims at strengthening the innovation and 
productivity of SMEs, start -ups and their value chains, prioritising companies  that contribute  to 
enhanced food  production  and sustainable  energy.  In Egypt,  for instance,  date producers  in Siwa 
benefitted  from training  to improve  production  practices  and ensure  compliance  with food safety  
regulations.  
1.6.  Digitalisation.  In the EBRD’s  five-year Strategic  and Capital  Framework  (SCF 2021-25), the 
Bank has committed for the  first time  to a comprehensive approach  to foster  the digital  transformation 
across  the region and  sectors in which  it invests.  Our digital  approach  will enable  equal  access  to digital  
technology  and skills,  establishment of robust  governance practices,  and provision of  financial and  
technical support  to companies and  governments.  
1.7.  A key pillar is  the support  of the rollout  of ICT infrastructures  to under -served  areas.  For 
example,  in Armenia the  Bank is supporting  Telecom  Armenia’s  network  improvement  programme  
with EUR 20 million  to upgrade fixed and mobile networks  around  the country.  This will improve 
access  to high-speed  internet  to 450,000 households,  including  in rural areas  The use of  green  
technologies  also helps  to save 28,859  tonnes  of CO2 emissions  per year.  
1.8.  Mainstreaming  trade. On 21 November 2023,  EBRD  will launch the new edition  of its 
economic flagship  publication,  the Transition  Report  2023-24. The report  entitled  “Transitions  big and 
 
2 EBRD  contact:  Christoph  Saenger,  Head of Competitiveness  Policy,  Vice Presidency  Policy  and Partnerships 
(saengerc@ebrd.com).  
 RD/COMTD/AFT/11  
 
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 small”  discusses  the ways in which  the deep structural  transformation  of the global  economy  is 
impacting  the lives, livelihoods  and living conditions  of people  across  the EBRD regions.  It focuses  on 
important  “big transitions”  such as the shift towards a sustainable  economy,  the reconfiguration  of 
global  supply  chains,  and the scramble  for the raw materials required by  the digital  and green  
economies.  New data shows  how these macro -level trends  translate  into “small transitions”: career 
moves,  changes  in physical  and mental  health,  the refurbishment of  housing  and – ultimately – changes  
in people’s  satisfaction with life.  
1.9.  The EBRD  remains  deeply  committed  to supporting  international  trade in all its facets.  Let me 
also assure  you of the Bank’s  continued  engagement  in the run-up to the 2024 Review  of Aid for 
Trade.  
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