Billions of EU recovery money to support fossil fuels
Press release | 31 May, 2021Several EU states plan to use the EUR 672 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility to expand fossil gas infrastructure using loopholes in the fund’s regulations. These proposals do not comply with objectives of the European Green Deal and recent recommendations from the International Energy Agency to end funding for fossil fuels, warns CEE Bankwatch Network.
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EU Ombudsman launches probe into assessment of priority gas projects at EU’s doorstep
Blog entry | 10 May, 2021The European Commission’s oversight of the sustainability assessments of priority-labelled gas infrastructure projects in the Western Balkans will be investigated by the European Ombudsman, following a Bankwatch complaint about their climate footprint.
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Uneven progress towards green recovery as EU members submit spending plans to access EUR 672 billion fund
Press release | 28 April, 2021Brussels – EU Member States that opened up their spending plans for the EUR 672 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility have made the most progress towards the aims of the European Green Deal, finds a new assessment of eight countries in central and eastern Europe.
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Estonia’s EU recovery fund measures are promising yet potentially obstructive
Blog entry | 20 April, 2021Estonia has good intentions to use the recovery fund to become more resilient while supporting the green transition. However, these intentions are overshadowed by uncertainty and lack of scrutiny, as there is no publicly available strategic framework to bring all of the plan’s measures together, and many measures proposed could in fact undermine the European Green Deal.
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Czech recovery plan a few steps away from being on the right path
Blog entry | 19 April, 2021Thanks to pressure from civil society, several harmful investments in highways and gas infrastructure were taken out of the Czech recovery plan, pushing it towards more of a green recovery. Still, an almost complete lack of allocations for biodiversity and several questionable climate measures set the plan back.
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Opportunities for biodiversity and environment missed in Bulgarian recovery plan
Blog entry | 15 April, 2021Instead of reforms, the country plans to rehab an irrigation system that can potentially destroy wetlands, and without transparency and public dialogue, the plan cements business-as-usual. With a 30 April deadline for submitting national recovery plans approaching and recent parliamentary elections, the Bulgarian government is failing to propose reforms and measures for biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and low carbon economy. Instead, actions such as rehabilitating state-owned irrigation systems not only contradict national strategies but might damage valuable wetland habitats. A lack of transparency and public dialogue casts a further shadow on the process.
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Last chance for Member States to include biodiversity in recovery plans
Blog entry | 12 April, 2021Instead of proposing measures that protect nature, countries plan to spend recovery money on projects that jeopardise the EU’s biodiversity objectives. Countries can still reverse this worrying trend before it’s too late.
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Biodiversity forgotten in the Latvian recovery plan
Blog entry | 8 April, 2021There is less than one month left for Member States to submit their national recovery and resilience plans to the European Commission. Yet, the Latvian plan is still far from fulfilling the Commission’s requirements to allocate at least 37% of proposed measures to achieving climate objectives.
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High time for better biodiversity protection in the Energy Community countries
Blog entry | 31 March, 2021The energy sector damages rivers, lakes and other habitats in the countries participating in the Energy Community Treaty, and the Treaty’s current rules are not sufficient to protect them. Our new analysis shows how the EU’s nature and water Directives can be adapted to help address this problem.
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Devil in the climate details as Slovakia finalises plan for EU recovery fund
Blog entry | 30 March, 2021Thanks to a strong push from the European Commission, Slovakia’s national recovery and resilience plan allocates nearly three billion euros for green, climate-friendly investments. The plan includes commendable aims to renovate buildings, pursue renewable energy sources, clean up dirty industries and develop more sustainable transport infrastructure.
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