Active
Bankwatchers:
Action Alerts Archive 2004
November
July 29
July 2
May
April
March
February
January
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November
- November 8, 2004
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Expose
the myth of public consultation in Bulgaria
The Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Waters
disregarded the outcomes of the public consultations process and
on October 28 issued an environmental permit for the Ljulin Motorway.
The local population disagreed with the conclusions of the EIA
report and rejected the proposed route for the motorway during
the new public consultations in September 2004. It appears that
the consultation was only a formal step for proceeding with a
new environmental permit and receiving funds from the EU for the
motorway construction. The current practices of the Bulgarian
Ministry of Environment in disregarding public opinion during
environmental impact procedures is a serious threat to the environment
and democratic processes in Bulgaria. (read
more) |
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July
- July 29, 2004
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Tell
the Bulgarian authorities to waive dioxin-emitting incinerators!
While number of countries that deal with hazardous
waste have been slowly moving towards reduction of hazardous waste
and non-combustion technologies, the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment
and Waters decided to stick to the old time practice - the incineration.
The Ministry plans to construct two hazardous waste incinerators
in the district of Stara Zagora. (read
more) |
| Bulgarian
villagers protest against EU and EIB financed hazardous waste
incinerator, June 28, 2004. |
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July
- July 2, 2004
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Ukrainian
nuke loan must not break the rules
Next Tuesday, July 6, the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development will decide on whether to provide a USD 50 million
loan for the post-start-up component of a safety and modernisation
programme for two nuclear power plants in Ukraine - Khmelnitsky
(K2) and Rivne (R4). The modernization of the two reactors is
to be financed jointly by the EBRD and the EU's nuclear loan facility
Euratom which is overseen by the European Commission. (read
more) |
| K2R4
NPP, Ukranie |
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May
- May 17, 2004
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Save Euro Renewable
Energy Targets
Germany will host the International Conference
for Renewable Energies in Bonn on June 1-4, 2004. In preparation
for the Conference, the European Commission is set to produce
a position paper - or Communication - on renewable energy. This
Communication will be adopted on Wednesday 19 May. As currently
drafted it specifically avoids setting medium term targets for
2020 for the EU. Reinforce the European Commission commitment
for the future of clean, renewable energies across Europe! (read
more) |
| Latvian
wind mill farm |
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April
- April 23, 2004
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An important Bulgarian
spa resort threatened by a motorway construction
The Ljulin Motorway was proposed as part of the
Trans-European Corridor from Thessalonica to Europe by the Bulgarian
Government in 2001. If approved in the current scenario the new
speed motorway will pass through the mineral springs and landslide
protected zone of the spa complex of Bankya. The increased pollution
and smog can ruin the specific climatic conditions of the resort.
The neighboring communities will have cars passing literally through
their backyard. (read
more) |
| Public
consultations about the Ljulin Motorway route, Bankya, October
2003 |
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March
- March 24, 2004
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Stop European
money for new Romanian nuke
Very shortly the European Commission will decide
on a EUR 223.5 million loan for the construction of a new reactor
at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant on the Danube River in Romania.
If agreed, this discounted loan to the Romanian government will
promote nuclear power in accordance with the 'Euratom mandate',
a founding treaty of the EU which has never been reviewed.
(read more)
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| Cernavoda
NPP, Romania 2002. |
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February
- February 17, 2004
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Urgent World Bank dilemma
- poverty alleviation or business as usual
One of the positive outcomes of the Prague 2000 World Bank meeting
was the pledge from James Wolfensohn, World Bank president, to
examine the bank's lending activities in the extractive industries.
The Extractive Industries Review (EIR) was thus initiated. Its
underlying aim - to evaluate the extent to which the extractive
industries contribute to poverty alleviation and to present the
World Bank with some long overdue guidance on its future role
in the oil, gas and mining industries. (read
more) |
| Will
the WB adopt the 2003 Extractive Industries Review clean sweeping
approach? |
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January
- January 22, 2004
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Keep European money
out of opressive S-E Asian regime
This coming Tuesday (January 27), the board of the European
Investment Bank (EIB) will meet to decide on whether or not
to back the development of Sepon copper mine to the tune of
EUR 60 million. The mine is located in the Savannakhet province
of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) and is owned
by Oxiana, an Australian mining company. So why is the EIB thinking
about getting involved? (read
more)
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Lao
army pontoon boats supply the Oxiana goldmine.
© Rod Harbinson/www.diversityphotos.com |
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