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Banking Secrets: bankers begin to naked!

Friends of the Earth throw with five other members of the international network NGO BankTrack [1], the website "bank secrecy" ( www.secretsbancaires.fr ), which reveals the controversial investments for large European banks which include three French BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and Credit Agricole. On that occasion, Friends of the Earth have conducted an "operation transparency" in Paris to demand the establishment of accountable and transparent policies for all risk areas and for all banking activities.

order to expose banking secrets and expose the opacity that surrounds them, activists from Friends of the Earth have conducted an "operation transparency" in a parody of a striptease bankers outside the headquarters of BNP Paribas in Paris, while similar operations were place simultaneously in other major European capitals. Laid bare, what secrets hidden under his banker polish? Nothing less than a sad sign showing a controversial ... and a unique address: www.secretsbancaires.fr presents a world map of investments harmful for European banks.

Indeed, "Banking Secrets "Reveals the 13 major investment banks in Europe [2] which, despite the financial crisis continue to fund controversial projects in quite opaque, with serious implications for local populations. "The study conducted within the network BankTrack unveils financial links between the major European banks and companies blacklisted supporting dictators and causing irreparable environmental damage or producing indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions. The 13 banks surveyed have thus granted 11.4 billion euros in loans and organized and issued shares and obligations for a total of 10.5 billion euros. In addition, they hold or manage for third parties 17.7 billion euros in the same companies, a total commitment of over 40 billion euros over the last 4 years "denounces Yann Louvel, Campaigner Finance Private Friends of the Earth.

"This type of controversial investments can no longer be tolerated. Banks must take into consideration relevant international environmental and social issues in all their funding decisions and investment. We require responsible practices: no money for dictators, environmental destruction, the controversial weapons and violation of human rights, "demand Sebastien Godinot, campaigns coordinator for Friends of the Earth. "We blame the three French banks including BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and Credit Agricole, which is found involved in the most controversial projects! .

Yann Louvel continues: "The bankers have an incentive to act as financial and legal risks are rising in risk projects. In addition, banks are a big lever and can contribute to the necessary changes. They must why adopt stringent and transparent sectoral policies, applying to all their activities for all sectors at risk ".

If www.secretsbancaires.fr with this project, profiles of banks and financial links between enterprises and banks, it also invites the public to send an electronic card with bank CEOs to ask targeted to change their practices. The public is also invited to choose an ethical bank, such as Nef in France, including Friends of the Earth have been partners since 2008.

Notes:

[1] Campagna per la Riforma della Banca Mundial (Italy), Vlaaderen Netwerk (Belgium), Platform (UK) SETEM (Spain), Urgewald (Germany).

[2] The 13 European banks studied are: Santander, Barclays, BBVA, BNP Paribas, Citibank, Credit Agricole, Deutsche Bank, ING, Intesa Sanpaulo, HSBC, RBS, Societe Generale and UniCredit.

+ photos of the action are available online on Flickr: click here!