New report: EU funds must plug clean energy gap in central and eastern Europe
Press release | 3 March, 2010On the day that the European Commission launches its vision for 2020, its ‘Europe 2020 strategy’, a new report from CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe lays out how improved targeting of EU structural and cohesion billions for energy efficiency and renewables can get the EU – and particularly the new member states in the east – on track to meet and exceed emissions reduction targets for tackling climate change.
Read moreVia Baltica – Another landmark victory for Polands nature, environmentalists remain vigilant
Press release | 21 October, 2009Last night’s decision by the Polish Council of Ministers on a new routing for the Via Baltica expressway [1]has been welcomed by campaigners from CEE Bankwatch Network, BirdLife International, OTOP – BirdLife Poland and other environmental groups as major progress for the conservation of Poland’s unique nature and represents a significant step in the right direction towards the proper implementation of Polish and European environmental legislation.
Read moreCampaigners hail major victory as Polish government announces the saving of Rospuda Valley
Press release | 24 March, 2009Today’s announcement by the Polish government that the Rospuda Valley, a Natura 2000 protected area, is not to be devastated by a major bypass road has been hailed by campaigners from CEE Bankwatch Network, OTOP – Birdlife Poland, Greenpeace Poland and WWF Poland as a major victory for the environment, for Polish and European law and for the general public interest.
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Harnessing the EU recovery plan for green and accountable investments
Blog entry | 13 March, 2009The unprecedented economic crisis has the potential to provide a significant boost to the environment. Today, investing in a green economy and green jobs is seen as one of the top priorities for moving beyond the crisis. This unique window of political opportunity for the promotion of green investments should not be missed – and how European public money is to be used to get us out of these economic straits is on the line next week.
Read moreEU billions earmarked for environmental devastation in central and eastern Europe
Press release | 16 February, 2009“RegioScars” awards for the most unsustainable spending of EU funds in Central and Eastern Europe were awarded today by CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe. The prizes went to two projects in the Czech Republic and Poland currently in line for support from EU regional aid, and to Latvia’s government for a decision to rule out wind energy projects from EU funds support because of the economic crisis.
Read moreStench rising over Sofia waste crisis, warns local group
Press release | 6 November, 2008The environmental assessment (EIA) of a waste management project proposed by Sofia municipality to deal with the Bulgarian capital’s chronic waste problems has been criticised by Bankwatch’s Bulgarian member group Za Zemiata for failing to consider an alternative waste management scenario officially submitted by NGOs in collaboration with experts and researchers from Europe and the U.S. Such a procedural breach of Bulgarian EIA legislation should, believes Za Zemiata, rule out vital EU funding that the authorities in Sofia are seeking for the EUR 175 million project. [1]
Read moreEU funds for fifty harmful projects: NGOs announce ‘RegioScars’ – the three most ill-conceived projects in CEE countries
Press release | 25 February, 2008A new map with details of 50 environmentally damaging and economically dubious infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe was launched by CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe in Brussels today [1]. Based on the most extensive investigation to date, the map entitled ‘Cohesion or Collision?’ shows controversial projects with a total cost of EUR 22 billion. The projects are either already financed, or planned to be financed, by EU structural and cohesion funds and/or the European Investment Bank (EIB) [2].
Read moreDistribution of EU funds in Poland seen as flawed by local officials
Press release | 18 October, 2007The selection of projects for billions of euros of EU funding in Poland is widely perceived by Polish municipalities to be politically-driven and non-transparent, new research conducted by Bankwatch member group the Institute of Environmental Economics (IEE) has found.
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