Corridor Vc in Bosnia and Herzegovina: The public cost of weak governance
September 7, 2026
The Corridor Vc motorway through Bosnia and Herzegovina was due to be completed in 2012. As of August 2026, however, only around 45% of the route has been built, with costs climbing to nearly EUR 5.2 billion. This briefing examines nine cases along the motorway that together reveal a pattern of cost increases and delays, corruption allegations, disputed procurement, unresolved property disputes, and communities excluded from key decisions.
Death by a thousand transmission lines
August 6, 2026
The EBRD-backed development of the 400/110/35 kV Brezna substation for Montenegro’s transmission grid is opening several crucial questions – where is the red line beyond which a project’s impact on local communities makes it unacceptable? Can this even be assessed when all the institutions and financiers involved fail to identify even the obvious impacts? And why are the project’s backers so reluctant to provide environmental documentation to the affected people?
Before the money arrives, the work begins: how Kolašin in Montenegro is preparing for renewable district heating
August 4, 2026
Located below the Bjelasica mountain in northern Montenegro, the town of Kolašin is experiencing a rapid transformation. The expansion of the local ski resort, which attracted around 80,000 visitors during the 2025/2026 winter season, is accelerating tourism growth and new construction. As the town grows, local authorities face a critical challenge – ensuring that new heating infrastructure supports sustainable renewable solutions and avoids locking the town into fossil fuel-based systems for decades.
Signs of trouble: Drainage pipe near the pristine Bunica river spring causes outcry as Corridor Vc construction affects Mostar communities
July 30, 2026
A large drainage pipe has been recently installed next to the spring of the Bunica River as part of the construction of the European Corridor Vc motorway in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Local residents became increasingly concerned and the issue gained public attention on 3 July 2026 when photographs of the works were widely shared and questions were raised about the purpose of the pipe and its potential impact on the river.
Western Balkans gets second chance at just transition: Can new support platform deliver?
July 15, 2026
For coal-dependent communities in the Western Balkans, the launch of the JET Balkans project marks a welcome end to more than two years without a dedicated regional support platform. But with political commitment, funding and transparency still in short supply, local authorities and civil society are wondering whether the initiative can turn planning into meaningful implementation, or whether it will repeat the shortcomings that have slowed just transition efforts across the region.
Serbia’s district heating utilities approaching breaking point due to gas import dependence
July 14, 2026
The current situation among district heating companies in Serbia provides a timely warning for Western Balkan governments still betting on new fossil gas infrastructure. In recent years, these governments have shown renewed interest in building new gas infrastructure. Many projects have been on the table for years, but new schemes are also being actively promoted by the United States.
Western Balkans coal plants continue to breach pollution limits despite legal deadlines, report says
July 8, 2026
Coal-fired power plants across the Western Balkans emitted sulphur dioxide at more than six times legal limits in 2025, with dust pollution reaching its worst level since current emissions rules came into force eight years ago.
Clear rules on nature and water benefit renewable energy development and biodiversity: Joint civil society position paper on the inclusion of the EU Habitats, Birds and Water Framework Directives in the Energy Community Treaty
June 30, 2026
This joint civil society position paper, supported by 78 civil society organisations, provides an insight into why it is crucial to include the relevant provisions of the EU Habitats, Birds and Water Framework Directives in the Energy Community Treaty.
Comply or Close: Eight years of deadly legal breaches by Western Balkan coal plants
June 23, 2026
This report exposes the systematic, deadly breaches of air pollution limits by coal-fired power plants in the Western Balkans – eight years after new pollution standards entered force.
Western Balkan governments must finally penalise illegal coal pollution – new report
June 22, 2026
In 2025, systematic law enforcement failures allowed sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from the Western Balkans’ ageing coal power plants to exceed legal limits by 6.6 times, according to the eighth edition of Bankwatch’s Comply or Close report, published today (1). Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions also continued to breach legal limits, while dust pollution increased, reaching the highest level since the current rules entered force in 2018.
