A Review of the European Representative Office

Abstract

In December 1996, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) opened its European Representative Office (ERO) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. This paper reviews ERO’s activities relative to its approved terms of reference(TOR) during its first two years of operations. The paper is based on the findings of a working group constituted by the Vice-President (Finance and Administration). The review included an in-house study of ERO’s operations and activities, interviews with staff from concerned ADB departments and offices, and the Directors and Alternate Directors representing ADB’s European member countries, a mail survey of ERO’s contacts, and an ADB mission that visited Europe from 7 to 18 June 1999 to meet with ERO’s staff and a cross-section of ERO’s constituency. The paper first provides background on ERO’s operations. ERO is then assessed on the basis of its utility and operational effectiveness for ADB, usefulness from the perspective of the major interest groups in Europe, and ongoing efforts to improve ERO’s effectiveness and minimize costs. Benefits and costs are then considered, followed by a discussion of initiatives that will be adopted to improve ERO’s utility and operational effectiveness. The paper concludes with an overall assessment of ERO’s performance.