New Documents
[NGO Study] Potential unfulfilled - EU funding and Cohesion policy can do more for sustainable climate and energy development in central and eastern Europe
(March 3, 2010)
This new analysis from CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe points to some alarming shortcomings in how billions of EU funds earmarked for clean energy projects in the new member states are being deployed.
It also calls for big increases in the marginal allocations of the EU funds that the new member states have thus far seen fit to give to clean energy schemes, citing widespread evidence from the ground that building efficiency schemes are ready to take off if they become more affordable and if EU money is better targeted.
Flip through the study in our quick preview.
It also calls for big increases in the marginal allocations of the EU funds that the new member states have thus far seen fit to give to clean energy schemes, citing widespread evidence from the ground that building efficiency schemes are ready to take off if they become more affordable and if EU money is better targeted.
Flip through the study in our quick preview.
[Policy letter] EBRD response to open NGO letter regarding the Moscow-St.Petersburg motorway project
(February 16, 2010)
[Comments EU/IFI policies] Report from visit to new Roma settlements in Belgrade, 11.02.2010
(February 11, 2010)
During a recent CEKOR fact finding mission 3 settlements were visited - Makis in Cukarica municipality, Kijevo in Rakovica municipality, and Varos in Mladenovac municipality. The report summarises the still problematic situation in the new settlements and offers specific recommendations related to leaking and sinking containers, electricity, health care and ID documents, employment and more.
[Policy letter] EIB response to an open NGO letter regarding the bank's potential involvement in the Moscow-St.Petersburg motorway project
(February 3, 2010)
[Policy letter] Letter to the EBRD asking for investigation into alleged irregularities regarding the Gazela resettlements
(February 3, 2010)
[Policy letter] EIB response to Bankwatch's request for information on EIB's SME lending through financial intermediaries
(January 27, 2010)
[Policy letter] Letter accompanying Bankwatch's comments on the European Commission's Communication on public-private partnerships
(January 26, 2010)
Bankwatch's policy comments on public-private partnerships are available here.
[Comments EU/IFI policies] Bankwatch comments on the European Commission's Communication on PPPs
(January 26, 2010)
As part of our work on preventing the harmful impacts of international development finance in central and eastern Europe (CEE), Bankwatch is concerned that public-private partnerships in infrastructure are being heavily promoted in CEE even though the evidence from the use of such models so far, both in the region is mixed or sometimes absent.
Bankwatch therefore comments on the EC’s Communication on Mobilising private and public investments for recovery and long-term structural change: Developing public private partnerships from a CEE perspective (available here) and asks the EC to take this into account when carrying out its follow-up work.
Bankwatch therefore comments on the EC’s Communication on Mobilising private and public investments for recovery and long-term structural change: Developing public private partnerships from a CEE perspective (available here) and asks the EC to take this into account when carrying out its follow-up work.
[Policy letter] NGO letter to EIB and European Commissioners regarding the bank's potential involvement in the Moscow-St.Petersburg motorway project
(January 19, 2010)
The letter, signed by 41 civil society organisations from Russia, requests the European Investment Bank not to approve funding for the Moscow-St.Petersburg motorway project unless the route is changed to avoid the Khimki Forest near Moscow.
[Response] EBRD response to open NGO letter regarding the Moscow-St.Petersburg motorway project
(February 16, 2010)
[Response] EIB response to an open NGO letter regarding the bank's potential involvement in the Moscow-St.Petersburg motorway project
(February 3, 2010)
[Issue paper] Some ways forward for the EBRD - NGO proposals for the EBRD Capital Resource Review 4
(January 18, 2010)
Even before the current economic crisis there were clear signs that the transition to a market economy in central and eastern Europe, which the EBRD is mandated to promote, is coming with a high social price tag attached. The EBRD's own survey on transition in 2007 - at the height of the boom times - included the alarming finding from 29,000 respondents across the region that trust in society had plummeted since 1989.
The economic crisis has added urgency to these findings, raising difficult questions for the EBRD about its role in the transition countries and the sustainability of the free market model it has been promoting for nearly two decades.
While there has been plenty of discussion about needing to learn lessons from the crisis, it is not yet clear what has concretely changed in the EBRD’s operations. Bankwatch, supported by 45 other organisations, is requesting that any increase in the EBRD's capital is conditioned on improvements - laid out below - in the bank’s practices.
The economic crisis has added urgency to these findings, raising difficult questions for the EBRD about its role in the transition countries and the sustainability of the free market model it has been promoting for nearly two decades.
While there has been plenty of discussion about needing to learn lessons from the crisis, it is not yet clear what has concretely changed in the EBRD’s operations. Bankwatch, supported by 45 other organisations, is requesting that any increase in the EBRD's capital is conditioned on improvements - laid out below - in the bank’s practices.
[Policy letter] Bankwatch response to EIB's 'Change the lending, not the Climate' response
(January 15, 2010)
Having respected the European Investment Bank's request to publish its response to Bankwatch's report 'Change the lending, not the climate' we also publish the same letter with some direct responses from Bankwatch here, rebutting the bank’s claims of inaccuracies in our report and petition.
[Policy letter] Response from EBRD President Mirow regarding the bank's fourth Capital Resource Review
(January 14, 2010)
[Comments EU/IFI policies] Comments by Eco-sense on the EBRD's draft country strategy for Macedonia
(January 14, 2010)
The comments propose a shift in the EBRD's investment in Macedonia towards more sustainable modes of transport and renewable and energy efficiency projects.
[Policy letter] Letter to DG Economic and Financial Affairs regarding the EIB's external mandate and Central Asia
(January 11, 2010)
Crude Accountability, Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law, “Taraqiyot” Development Centre, Tajikistan, Karaganda Ecological Museum
[Policy letter] Letter to EIB requesting information on SME lending through financial intermediaries
(January 4, 2010)
Download: Letter to EIB requesting information on SME lending through financial intermediaries
(PDF)
[Response] EIB response to Bankwatch's request for information on EIB's SME lending through financial intermediaries
(January 27, 2010)
[Policy letter] EIB response to Bankwatch's petition and report 'Change the lending, not the Climate'
(December 23, 2009)
The European Investment Bank has responded to Bankwatch's report 'Change the lending, not the Climate' that was released in the lead-up to the ill-fated Copenhagen climate talks, and the bank has asked us “for the sake of transparecy” to publish their response, which we are doing here.
You can also read the same letter with some direct responses from Bankwatch here, rebutting the bank’s claims of inaccuracies in our report and petition.
You can also read the same letter with some direct responses from Bankwatch here, rebutting the bank’s claims of inaccuracies in our report and petition.
Download: EIB response to Bankwatch's petition and report 'Change the lending, not the Climate'
(PDF)
[Response] Bankwatch response to EIB's 'Change the lending, not the Climate' response
(January 15, 2010)
[Policy letter] Letter to ArcelorMittal asking to disclose information under the company's Stakeholder Engagement Plan
(December 23, 2009)
[Policy letter] EIB response regarding the bank's consideration to finance the Moscow - St. Petersburg motorway PPP
(December 22, 2009)
[Comments EU/IFI policies] Karaganda Ecological Museum comments on the EBRD's draft country strategy for Kazakhstan for 2009-2011
(December 22, 2009)
CEE Bankwatch Network gratefully acknowledges EU funding support.