About the map
The downside of the EU’s billions
The European Union is injecting billions of euros into the development of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe via the structural and cohesion funds as well as the European Investment Bank. The financial aid aimed at reuniting Europe and healing its Cold War divisions is necessary and laudable. Yet there is an unfortunate downside: as this map starkly illustrates, much of the development driven by EU money is reckless, destructive and ineffective. The potential of EU finance to deliver benefits is being unnecessarily undermined.
50 projects at a cost to EU funds of €10bn
This map displays 50 environmentally harmful and often also economically dubious projects being financed – or planned to be financed – by the EU funds and the EIB. The map covers the 10 new EU member states of Central and Eastern Europe and the two candidate countries, Croatia and Macedonia. The total estimated cost of the 50 projects is at least €22.0bn. Of this, €10.1bn stands to be paid via the EU funds, not counting the additional billions of euros in the form of loans from the EIB. All of this money could be used much more effectively, if only alternative solutions were considered properly.
Our aim: sound use of EU money
With this map, CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe are aiming to ensure that EU money does not cause damage but instead brings real benefits to the citizens of the CEE countries and promotes sustainable development. The big majority of the projects on the map have not received funding yet, which means that most of the environmental harm and money wastage can still be prevented. The governments and the EU must call a halt to such projects and properly examine alternative solutions.
Sources of information
The map is the result of an extensive investigation carried out by the national member organisations of CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe in cooperation with other non-governmental organisations. The information provided about individual projects is based on official documents such as operational programmes and environmental impact reports, communication with local citizen groups as well as independent expert studies. The map shows only a selection of the most significant and currently known projects. The number of projects displayed in each country reflects not only the quantity of problematic projects but also the capacity of non-governmental organisations to identify and research them. That is why, for example, there are only a small number of projects displayed in Romania.