Time to iron out the EU budget differences – with a green shirt!
November 22, 2012 | Read more
The EU budget summit, the much-anticipated showdown featuring Europe’s 27 member states, the European Parliament, the European Commission and European Council president Herman van Rompuy over how much EU funding – and for what – is to be spent in the 2014-20 budgetary period, is now on. And all the talk is of what exactly to wear to this event.
European public development money for Monsanto? Whatever next?!
November 14, 2012 | Read more
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development considers supporting one of the most criticised and controversial corporations on the planet, Monsanto. Reasons for deciding against it are plenty.
A $3.7 billion PPP oil refinery expansion in Cairo is accompanied by contradictory project documents, making a mockery of claims by the public banks involved to be committed to “good governance” or democracy. Despite being presented as merely translations of one document, the Arabic and English “versions” are entirely different – with the Arabic markedly cursory and superficial.
Although public-private partnerships appear to become increasingly untenable for public authorities, they are further being promoted by the European Commission and the European Investment Bank. An official in-depth evaluation of this financing model, however, is still nowhere to be seen.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development boasts of having invested 10 billion euros in sustainable energy since 2006. A closer look reveals that although the bank’s efforts deserve recognition, several investments make a mockery of ‘sustainability’.
Crunch time at Sostanj
November 5, 2012 | Read more
November is shaping up to be crunch time for a new 600 MW lignite plant planned to be built at Sostanj in Slovenia. If the Slovenian government doesn’t manage to offer a state guarantee for loans from European public banks that should cover half the construction costs by the end of this month, the project could fail. At Bankwatch, we’re preparing our popcorn for the latest Sostanj thriller, on show across Europe this month.
