CEB to hold 2026 Joint Meeting and celebrate its 70th anniversary in Warsaw

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) will convene its annual Joint Meeting in Warsaw from 16 to 18 March 2026, bringing together members of its Governing Board, Administrative Council and senior management. The programme will also include a high-level event celebrating the Bank’s 70th anniversary and its seven decades of social investment in people and for people.

Held each year in a different CEB member country on a rotational basis, the Joint Meeting provides an opportunity to review the Bank’s operations, approve new projects and discuss strategic priorities. This year’s meeting will focus on the theme “CEB: delivering social impact locally”, highlighting how the Bank translates its unique social mandate into tangible results for communities across Europe by supporting investment projects in housing, health, education targeting the most vulnerable populations.

In 2026 Poland is hosting the Joint Meeting for the first time. A CEB member since 1998, the country represents the Bank’s second-largest portfolio to date, with €2.4 billion in outstanding loans. Since joining, Poland has benefited from more than €8 billion in approved financing across 80 projects in education, financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, healthcare, disaster prevention and municipal infrastructure.

CEB 70th anniversary event

The 70th anniversary event, to be held at the Ministry of Finance of Poland on 17 March, will explore how geopolitical tensions, rapid technological change, demographic shifts and growing socio‑economic fragmentation are reshaping Europe’s social model, challenging current policies to sustain inclusion and resilience. It will also explore how public development banks and EU financial institutions can evolve their mandates, instruments and partnerships to unlock the necessary financing for social investment.

Programme (open to registered media and livestreamed)

Monday, 16 March 2026 – Sofitel Warsaw Victoria (Królewska 11, Warsaw)

• Opening Session (15:45–16:45 CET)
  High-level remarks by:
  • Andrzej Domański, Minister of Finance and Economy of Poland
  • Gianluca Esposito, Director, General Human Rights and Rule of Law, Council of Europe
  • Carlo Monticelli, Governor, CEB
  • Wioletta Barwicka-Lofthouse, Chair, CEB Administrative Council
  • Harry Alex Rusz, Chair, CEB Governing Board
• CEB Award for Social Cohesion (19:00 CET)
  The annual award ceremony recognising outstanding contributions to social cohesion in Europe.

Tuesday, 17 March 2026 – Ministry of Finance, Warsaw (16:00-19:00)

• CEB 70th Anniversary High-Level Event

All open sessions will be livestreamed on our LinkedIn page: Council of Europe Development Bank: Posts | LinkedIn and our YouTube channel.