Europe’s big trash-burning experiment has become a dirty headache

27 July 2025  | Politico

“Many of these installation plans would turn out to be obsolete,” says Anelia Stefanova, energy transformation area leader for CEE Bankwatch, since EU countries are expected to meet waste reduction and recycling targets enforced by EU laws.

Why the next EU budget is worrying nature conservationists

15 July 2025  | Contexte

As the European Commission prepares to present the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework, biodiversity advocates are pessimistic. They expect nature to be deprioritised in the EU budget and view the disappearance of the Life Fund, the only funding instrument dedicated to the environment, with concern.

ANALYSIS: Race begins to shape rules for EU nature market amid demand dilemma

10 July 2025  | Nature & Biodiversity Pulse

The newly launched EU roadmap for nature credits is sparking heated debate over who should design market rules, as observers say strong methodologies and governance frameworks are key to integrity, though demand is unlikely to grow without regulatory measures from the Commission.

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.”