Cleaning up District Heating: Best technologies and real-life examples
April 18, 2024
Intended for practitioners, policymakers, civil society and the energy sector, this brochure reviews various public financing options that can help enable the transition to clean district heating.
New report: EU must act to prevent needless environmental and social damage by Corridor Vc motorway in Bosnia and Herzegovina
April 5, 2024
The European Commission and EU public banks must press for a revision of the Corridor Vc motorway route near Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) if excessive environmental and social harm is to be avoided, finds a CEE Bankwatch Network report published today. (1)
The Corridor Vc motorway in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A decisive test for EU standards
April 5, 2024
Based on a March 2024 site visit, this report examines two planned sections of the motorway– from Mostar South to the Kvanj Tunnel and from Konjic to Mostar, through the iconic Prenj mountain. It presents updated findings and underlines that it is crucial for the European Commission, EIB and EBRD to ensure that the route south of Mostar and via Prenj is re-examined and publicly consulted if they want to avoid many more years of delay.
NGOs request investigation into EBRD loan for North Macedonia mega gas pipeline
March 25, 2024
Environmental watchdogs CEE Bankwatch Network and Eko-svest have today asked the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) redress mechanism to investigate a planned loan for a major new fossil gas pipeline from Greece to North Macedonia.
Mostar locals continue to resist Corridor Vc routing amid new tunnel loan talks
March 19, 2024
On 11-13 March a Bankwatch team visited Mostar and the nearby villages of Kosor, Ortiješ and Malo Polje. The team met with more than 25 landowners from the three villages, visited vineyards in Ortiješ, nearby construction sites on the Corridor Vc, and the Podveležje ridge. They discussed with local people the developments in the valley, ongoing legal action and the results of complaints at the EBRD’s accountability mechanism.
The great energy trap: An evaluation of the economic viability of replacing coal with gas in large power plants in Bulgaria
March 14, 2024
This report analyses several scenarios for replacing the existing coal capacity at Maritsa East and Bobov Dol with new gas-fired units. It looks at the implications of these projects becoming financially viable, including the investments required, possible state aid, and the electricity costs for households.
The EU’s proposed Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans
March 7, 2024
This briefing provides key recommendations to define clearer and narrower goals for the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans, focusing on social and/or environmental goals.
Reform and growth, or spray and pray?
March 7, 2024
The European Commission’s proposed Western Balkans Reform and Growth Facility lacks clear goals, focus, public participation, and EU oversight. So the European Parliament now has its work cut out to whip it into shape before the Facility is set up later this year.
Bar’s battle: Montenegrin town rising against LNG project
March 5, 2024
Plans to build a fossil gas import terminal on Montenegro’s coast, with backing from the European Commission, endanger the country’s fossil fuel phaseout. Growing local opposition to the project also underlines poor public participation in the process.
Environmental groups urge European Commission to speed up nature safeguards in the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova
February 23, 2024
The EU must accelerate plans to strengthen nature protection rules for energy infrastructure development under the Energy Community Treaty (1), 36 civil society organisations today urged the EU Commissioner for Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, in a joint letter.