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Films

[Video] EBRD-financed gold mining in Kapan, Armenia

(December 4, 2009)
CEE Bankwatch Network
In 2005 the EBRD provided four and half million euros to the Dundee Precious Metals company for environmental improvements at its Deno Gold Mine in Kapan, Armenia.




[Video] Change the lending, not the climate!

(December 2, 2009)
CEE Bankwatch Network
Bankwatch is launching its new report on the European Investment Bank's energy portfolio. Here the report's authors discuss their findings and place the EIB's energy lending in the context of the EU's efforts to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change.




[Video] EBRD - lost in transition

(November 1, 2009)
CEE Bankwatch Network
Bankwatch expects a largely business as usual approach from the EBRD on Monday when it publishes its 2009 Transition Report, accompanied by rhetoric about learning lessons from the economic crisis while completely lacking any explanation of what the bank is now doing differently.

Here we take a look at one case of the Bank's transition impact and see some of the asymmetries in EBRD justification and the reality on the ground.

CORRECTION

The video says that the EBRD 'provided 8 million euros' for the project. Rather the bank has approved the project, so the loan has not yet been disbursed.




[Video] Public action by Zelena Akcja, Croatia against the government's proposed waste management plan

(September 22, 2009)
Green Action
The city council of Zagreb is planning to build an incinerator. The Croatian wing of Friends of the Earth "Zelena Akcija" (Green Action) is informing the public of the negative consequences of such an extremely polluting and expensive way of disposing waste, now the people of Zagreb still have time to react to the plan.

The project is a revised re-launch of very similar incineration plans which failed to secure funding from EBRD and EIB after successful campaigns by Green Action and Bankwatch. This time, the government is set to approach the EU Pre-Accession and Structural Funds, as stated in the official plan.




[Video] Interview with Lilian Ikal Angelei on Gilgel Gibe III hydropower plant

(May 17, 2009)
CEE Bankwatch Network
Lilian Ikal Angelei from Friends of the Lake Turkana is talking about Gilgel Gibe III, a hydropower project in Ethiopia financed by the European Investment Bank.




[Video] Latvian woes should not pave the way for economic stimulus by any means necessary

(February 24, 2009)
Recent news of its governments collapse is further evidence of hardships that Latvia faces as the global economic crisis deepens within the country. As growth forecasts for 2009 continue to decline and levels of unemployment rise, Latvian national coordinator Alda Ozola speaks here about the alarming at all costs measures the country is proposing to satisfy requirements for economic stimulus from international donors like the International Monetary Fund and European Union.




[Video] Testimony about the impacts of mining in Bulgaria

(December 4, 2008)
CEE Bankwatch Network
Local health worker Dafina Karagioza speaks about the problems that have plagued her village since operations began upstream at the gold and copper mine in the Central Balkan mountains of Bulgaria. In 2004 the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development provided a 10 million dollar loan to "improve the environmental performance" of one such mine, the Chelopech gold and copper mine, which earlier this year it increased by 15 million dollars. However, an October visit by the European Parliament's Petition committee found serious shortcomings in remediation measures at the mine.




[Video] Live from central Europe - EIB and extractive industries speakers' tour

(December 2, 2008)
Chima Williams of Environmental Rights ActionFriends of the Earth Nigeria uses the opportunity of the Speaker's Tour on the European Investment Bank and extractive industries to highlight environmental problemsspecifically gas flaringassociated with the West African gas pipeline. In conjunction with Bankwatch coordinators from Georgia, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic, Williams discussed the impacts of this EIB and World Bank-financed pipeline in major cities throughout the central European region.




[Video] Cernavoda nuke plant violates EU competition laws

(November 20, 2008)
CEE Bankwatch Network
Bankwatch's international energy coordinator Ionut Apostol explains how recent moves by the Government of Romania to support the development of nuclear power at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant site are in violation of European Union competition regulations.




[Video] One BIG PIG goes to market: a cautionary tale

(October 21, 2008)
A comic look at the basics of the European Investment Bank, the world's biggest public financial institution. More information about what the EIB does in practice is available on the Counter Balance website: http://www.counterbalance-eib.org




[Video] Open your eyes to renewables!

(August 28, 2008)
As plans for more nuclear energy in the Baltic countries march forward in spite of popular protest, Bankwatch coordinators urge you to get involved against the construction of the new Ignalina II nuclear power plant in Lithuania.




[Video] Energy matters - part 1

(August 18, 2008)
This film highlights current energy developments in the Albanian port city of Vlora and explores the role of international financial institutions in the sector's development. Specifically the film questions whether the involvement of the World Bank, European Investment Bank, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is a positive impetus to economic development in Vlora, or rather hinders more crucial developments in tourism, fishing and agriculture. The film also gives voice to perspectives of local communities on the ground, and highlights the massive resistance that these energy developments are confronting.




[Video] Sakhalin's Black Tears - part 1

(August 18, 2008)
With support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the oil consortium plans to expand the drilling and build two pipelines in one of the most seismic regions in the world. Mitsui, Mitsubishi and Shell's development will affect the world's last 100 or so Western Pacific grey whales.




[Video] Sakhalin's Black Tears - part 2

(August 18, 2008)
With support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the oil consortium plans to expand the drilling and build two pipelines in one of the most seismic regions in the world. Mitsui, Mitsubishi and Shell's development will affect the world's last 100 or so Western Pacific grey whales. It will destroy the key salmon fishing area off the island by dumping one million tons of waste into the sea and threaten the livelihood of tens of thousands of fishermen. Furthermore the Sakhalinians have to live with a permanent threat that a large oil spill will destroy their environment. The future of Sakhalin lies in the hands of the international financial institutions and multinational companies.




[Video] Energy matters - part 2

(August 18, 2008)
This film highlights current energy developments in the Albanian port city of Vlora and explores the role of international financial institutions in the sector's development. Specifically the film questions whether the involvement of the World Bank, European Investment Bank, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is a positive impetus to economic development in Vlora, or rather hinders more crucial developments in tourism, fishing and agriculture. The film also gives voice to perspectives of local communities on the ground, and highlights the massive resistance that these energy developments are confronting.




[Video] Energy matters - part 3

(August 18, 2008)
This film highlights current energy developments in the Albanian port city of Vlora and explores the role of international financial institutions in the sector's development. Specifically the film questions whether the involvement of the World Bank, European Investment Bank, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is a positive impetus to economic development in Vlora, or rather hinders more crucial developments in tourism, fishing and agriculture. The film also gives voice to perspectives of local communities on the ground, and highlights the massive resistance that these energy developments are confronting.




[Video] Life begins at 50 for the EIB- Counter Balance street action

(August 12, 2008)
Counter Balance
Members of 'Counter Balance: Challenging the European Investment Bank,' a new coalition of European NGOs concerned by the lending practices of the EIB, 'celebrated' the EIB's 50th anniversary with street theatre and distribution of a spoof newspaper in Luxembourg. The EIB has attracted sustained criticism from civil society organisations in Europe and across the world because of its non-transparent institutional nature, its lack of binding environmental and social standards—especially in its increasing lending activities in Africa, Asia and Latin America—and its continuing support for major fossil fuel extraction projects that undermine the bank's recent improved record in funding renewable energy projects.




[Video] Happy birthday Mr. President - EIB at 50

(August 12, 2008)
Counter Balance
Environment and social campaign groups from across Europe marked the 50th anniversary celebrations of the European Investment Bank (EIB) on 3 June 2008 by pointing out to the European Union's house bank that "Life begins at 50—We hope."




[Video] EBRD environmental and social policy consultations

(August 12, 2008)
Bankwatch International Affairs coordinator Petr Hlobil reports from London on the results of consultations with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on the Bank's draft Environmental and Social Policy and Performance Requirements and highlights some of the shortcomings in the new draft policies.




[Video] The European Investment Bank: facts and fiction

(August 12, 2008)
The EIB is the largest public lending institution expected to foster development within and outside the European Union. Yet this noble ambition is accompanied by less noble deeds. The Polish A4 motorway construction project illustrates how the EIB pursues environmental protection and improvement of quality of life in reality. Improper environment impact assessment, the lack of public consultation, minimal environmental and social standards made the NGOs rise up and organise a "no reform, no money" campaign.




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