Updates on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Civil society groups in the Arab region say Western financial aid plan could divert the revolutions’ goals of economic and social justice

Arab civil society and international NGOs are opposing the EU and US backed financial aid package for post-revolutionary countries in their region on the grounds that it could damage the democratic transitions and divert the revolutions’ goals of economic and social justice.

Deja-vu in Belgrade

Bankwatch’s coordinator in Serbia Zvezdan Kalmar finds himself in a situation similar to the one when campaigning on the Gazela bridge project: Roma families live in uncertainty about when they’ll be resettled to make way for road construction, all the while with little influence about how decisions are made.

Briefing: The EBRD and the Serbian coal sector

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and German development Bank KfW are considering supporting the development of a new field in the lignite open pit mine in the Kolubara mining complex in Serbia. Interestingly, the investment is categorised as “Environmental Improvement” on the EBRD’s website. But no matter how efficient future processing is, investments into perpetuating lignite production – the dirtiest of fossil fuels – instead of clean electricity generation alternatives rather resembles re-arranging the deck-chairs on the Titanic than serious ‘environmental improvement’.

Arab civil society and international groups against diverting the revolutions’ economic and social justice goals through conditionalities imposed by international financial institutions

Letter reiterating Vinci’s failure to respect Global Compact commitments on human rights

Bankwatch and the Movement to Defend Khimki Forest wrote to the Global Compact on 28th March 2011 regarding Vinci’s non-compliance with its Global Compact Commitments in relation to the first section of the Moscow – St. Petersburg motorway project. Our letter subsequently formed the basis of an enquiry to Vinci by the Business and Human Rights and Human Resource Centre, to which Vinci responded on 26th April 2011. Having carefully reviewed Vinci’s response, we still believe that the company is not in compliance with its Global Compact commitments.

Public finance for mining must bring more than a mirage of development benefits in Mongolian desert

Ulan Baatar, Mongolia – Civil society groups are demanding that investments from international financial institutions to extract resources in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert guarantee that livelihoods are protected for those living near the mines and profit windfalls are used as an impetus to social and economic development for the region.

Transparency improvements grind to a halt at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Bankwatch research co-ordinator Pippa Gallop discusses the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s draft public information policy and how the bank has come to a standstill with improving its transparency rules.

Police investigates irregularities at TES 6 in Slovenia

Ljubljana, Slovenia — The Slovenian police confirmed June 7 that it was looking into allegations of mismanagement at coal plant Sostanj, including serious questions over the building of new lignite block TES 6.

EBRD Draft Public Information Policy – comments

The revised Public Information Policy (PIP) of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) adopts only few of the NGOs’ proposals submitted during the first stage of commenting, therefore missing the opportunity to improve the draft. We insist that the detailed comments submitted in January should be further considered by the EBRD before drafting its final PIP. These comments concentrate on several priority issues, in addition to those submitted in January.

Bringing Georgian realities to the EBRD drawing board

David Chipashvili from Bankwatch member group Green Alternative in Georgia talks about the opportunities and threats in bringing concerns from the ground to the attention of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.