EU biodiversity credits – barking up the wrong tree
July 7, 2025
This briefing provides an overview of biodiversity credits, offsets and nature markets, EU plans and issues with biodiversity credits.
The threat to the EU’s LIFE programme in the next budget
June 26, 2025
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.
LIFE for nature: Why Europe’s flagship environmental programme must remain part of the next EU budget
June 26, 2025
Our publication showcases successful LIFE-funded projects from Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia and Slovenia. These inspiring examples demonstrate the programme’s positive impact on a wide range of ecosystems – and why it must continue to support nature in the next EU budget.
Montenegro’s stop-start spatial plan set to greenlight harmful hydro projects
June 24, 2025
Montenegro is touted as the lead EU accession candidate these days, but it’s unfortunately far from ready. The country’s hotly debated new national spatial plan is a case in point, plagued by delays, legal breaches, opacity and all-round low quality.
Landmark deal ends 28-year Bulgaria motorway dispute with agreement to protect Kresna Gorge
June 16, 2025
28 years since the Struma motorway project in Bulgaria started, the Save Kresna Gorge coalition, Road Infrastructure Agency and Ministry of Environment and Water have reached a landmark agreement to implement the final section of the motorway outside the Kresna Gorge.
Biodiversity funding in the EU’s next long-term budget: Opportunities and risks for national plans
March 27, 2025
This joint statement highlights the key opportunities and challenges for improving the design and deployment of biodiversity financing in the next EU budget, particularly if national plans are introduced.
Avoiding the death of LIFE: Why Europe’s flagship environmental programme must remain part of the next EU budget
March 24, 2025
The LIFE programme, a proven and effective resource for financing biodiversity, is widely regarded as one of the EU’s best performing funds.
Kungrad 1-3 wind power project, Uzbekistan
March 11, 2025
Kungrad is one of several large-scale renewable projects featuring extensive transmission lines slated for remote, wild areas in Central Asia – an alarming practice that hinders the sustainable energy transition.
Free-flowing rivers in Central Asia
March 3, 2025
Central Asian rivers are under threat from hundreds of new hydropower plants. We have created a map of the key rivers in the region that need urgent protection and are calling on the development banks to stop their destruction.
Greening the EU budget: why climate mainstreaming needs reform
February 26, 2025
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.
