The threat to the EU’s LIFE programme in the next budget
26 June 2025 | EU observer
The EU’s new priorities are at a major crossroads. The once cutting-edge European Green Deal is now ditched in favour of defence, security and competitiveness. These discussions are taking place against the backdrop of the much-anticipated future EU budget, the financial resource responsible for driving forward the EU’s goals.
COMMENT: Amid shrinking civic space, will the EBRD still uphold its democratic mandate?
6 June 2025 | bne Intellinews
As the EBRD expands its operations into new regions, including sub-Saharan Africa and Iraq, will it stay true to its founding mission, and place democracy and civic participation at the heart of its approach?
Zero Waste Europe: Despite EU waste management budget, CEE states struggle to catch up
17 March 2025 | Packaging Insights
Report co-authors Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath, strategic area leader at CEE Bankwatch Network, and Evgenia Tasheva from the Za Zemiata Zero Waste team, tell us that: “EU funding has disbursed significant amounts to much-needed investments in CEE since 2021, at least EUR 584 million went to waste incineration, and only EUR 228 million to biomass plants, mainly in the fund’s largest beneficiaries, such as Czechia, Poland, and Romania.”
Czechia wants to phase out coal. But is natural gas the solution?
10 March 2025 | Euronews
According to calculations by CEE Bankwatch, the Czech plants near Vrato and Opatovice alone are getting a total of almost 350 million euros in subsidies from the EU Modernisation Fund.
Greening the EU budget: why climate mainstreaming needs reform
26 February 2025 | Bruegel
CEE Bankwatch Network (2024) analysed the practical implementation of the DNSH principle in the RRF using six case studies. In some cases, the simplified procedure relied solely on uncritically accepting the countries’ declarations.
Why China is Building a New Road to Russia
26 February 2025 | The B1M
“The Khada Valley is a very small valley. It’s located very close to the capital [Tbilisi] and it’s unique in terms of its cultural heritage,” said Manana Kochladze, the human rights and democratisation lead at Bankwatch.
