A Green Agenda for the Western Balkans: Where are the teeth?
October 8, 2020
The European Commission on Tuesday published its 2020 enlargement package and an Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. This was followed on Wednesday by a Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, expected to be endorsed by the countries’ leaders at a summit in Sofia in November. We take a look at how the proposed Green Agenda compares to our recommendations.
MEPs gas a green EU budget by voting for fossil fuels in Just Transition Fund
September 16, 2020
The European Parliament plenary session today voted for a 17.5 billion euros Just transition Fund that would permit the funding of fossil fuels projects, striking a blow to the EU’s ambitious European Green Deal.
EU-China leaders’ meeting: EU must do more to tackle legal breaches by Chinese companies in Europe, say civil society organisations
September 14, 2020
The European Union needs to step up its actions on violations of EU law by Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Europe, warned civil society groups working in southeast Europe today (1), as European and Chinese leaders meet online in lieu of the postponed Leipzig summit.
Chinese-built coal projects in Europe
September 14, 2020
A real and immediate threat to the EU’s decarbonisation efforts
EIB keeps denying Southern Gas Corridor climate impact
August 4, 2020
As it seeks to morph into the EU’s climate bank, the European Investment Bank (EIB) continues to downplay the climate footprint of many of the projects it finances, including that of Europe’s largest fossil fuels project, the Southern Gas Corridor.
Illegal lignite mine expansion in Bosnia and Herzegovina prompts NGO formal complaint
July 30, 2020
The ongoing expansion at the Gacko lignite mine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, happening already for over three years and treated lightly by local environmental authorities, breaches the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, argues the complaint submitted today to the Energy Community’s secretariat by the Center for Environment from Banja Luka. The organisation has sought remedies on domestic level on two occasions, but the Ministry of Environment took no action.
Priority energy infrastructure projects for the EU’s neighbours still anchored in fossil fuels
July 28, 2020
The energy projects proposed by the Energy Community countries for priority status, including privileged access to public funds, have now passed the evaluation stage, expecting a final decision by the year’s end. On the bright side, at least two megalomaniac projects were dropped. On the dark one, the remaining projects floor the gas pedal.
A checklist to ensure getting Territorial Plans for coal regions right
July 23, 2020
Relying on experience with supporting the transition of coal regions in seven countries across central and eastern Europe, CEE Bankwatch Network launches today a checklist meant to help experts, national authorities and local communities get Territorial Plans right.
TERRITORIAL JUST TRANSITION PLAN CHECKLIST
July 23, 2020
How to make TJTPs climate and people driven
How to hit the ground running on just transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine
July 15, 2020
As the European Commission gears up to launch an Initiative meant to help coal regions in the Western Balkans and Ukraine transition to sustainable economies, Bankwatch publishes today a set of recommendations based on its experience working with the Platform for Coal Regions in Transition, on which the new Initiative will be modelled.
