Barriers to infrastructure investment blocking Energy Union
10 December 2014 | EurActiv
Energy Union, the flagship initiative to wean the EU off its dependence on Russian gas, faces regulatory, financial and political obstacles that can delay or prevent funding for vital infrastructure, the EU Task Force on Investment has warned.
EU against Romania on the Rovinari coal mines
10 December 2014 | Energetika
http://www.energetika.net/eu/novice/articles/eu-against-romania-on-rovinari-coal-mine
Juncker’s €300bn investment gamble – and what it might mean for energy
9 December 2014 | Energy Post
The EU and European Investment Bank (EIB) have teamed up to launch a new investment programme for Europe – with energy, as well as transport, research, innovation and education, its key objects. A modest €21bn in public money is set to be multiplied up to a whopping €315bn in total investments over the next three years, pushing Europe toward that long-hoped for economic recovery. There is no dedicated share of the money for individual sectors or countries, yet first reactions from the energy community are enthusiastic.
Juncker’s €315bn investment plan unveiled: fifteenfold leverage and solidarity for the south
9 December 2014 | EurActiv
The European Commission yesterday (25 November) unveiled the mechanism for its much-heralded €315 billion investment plan, revealing how a limited €21 billion of initial public money is intended to lift fifteen times as much in capital.
Romania ‘Broke Environmental Rules’ in Coal Expansion
8 December 2014 | Balkan Insight
The European Commission has opened an infringement case against Bucharest over deforestation caused by an expansion at a major mining complex.
EBRD’s Environmental Policy Under Scrutiny in Kyrgyzstan
17 November 2014 | The Diplomat
Central Asia’s top producing gold mine Kumtor is back in the spotlight, after its major shareholder, Canadian company Centerra Gold’s environmental record was questioned by the Kyrgyz public, domestic activists, and international experts. The controversy surrounding Kumtor has translated into a highly politicized backlash in Kyrgyzstan over a lack of transparency and Centerra’s unwillingness to disclose information on the harmful effect of the mining operations on glaciers. In light of the growing public pressure on Centerra Gold in the republic, one of the Kumtor project’s creditors, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), has come under scrutiny.
