Updates on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Letter to EBRD president Thomas Mirow regarding EBRD’s role in the Nabucco pipeline project

Following ambivalent messages from the EBRD leadership, CEE Bankwatch Network and Crude Accountability request clarification on the bank’s intentions regarding the controversial Nabucco gas pipeline project. On August 25, 2009 we received a response from President Thomas Mirow. Download it here.

Dam Big Impact – The energy sector development in Georgia

The energy policy of the Georgian government supported by a number of IFIs, aims at utilising the hydroenergy potential in the country in order to overcome the existing energy crisis. But effectively, this policy has the potential to cause significant negative impact on the environment, to drastically change the social and demographic situation in Georgia’s mountain areas and to devastate the existing cultural heritage.

Letter to IFIs regarding Georgian hydropower plants

We have received the following responses: On July 29, 2009 from EBRD (pdf here). On August 4, 2009 from EIB (pdf here). On August 27, 2009 from World Bank (pdf here).

Joint Declaration of the States Parties to the Agreement on the Nabucco Project

The full text is available from the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Intergovernmental agreement for Nabucco project

The full text is available from the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Letter to DG Environment regarding the Nabucco pipeline project

The letter to European Commission, DG Environment raises political and environmental concerns related to the Nabucco pipeline, among others the human rights situation in Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. On September 8, 2009 we received a response from DG Environment. Download it a pdf here.

Risky deal, risky business: the Khudoni hydropower plant, Georgia

This report reviews documents provided by the Georgian government and the World Bank, and a number of independent research reports regarding the Georgian power sector and highlights the concerns of the local people towards the Khudoni HPP as expressed during the public hearings organized in Svaneti in summer 2008.

Media briefing on the Nabucco gas pipeline

Letter to EBRD regarding results from a Bankwatch fact finding mission to the Kapan mine, Armenia

On September 28, 2009 we received a response from EBRD. Download it as pdf here.

Bankwatch Mail 41

In this issue: Environmental navigation can steer paths through EU funds storm * EU shadow banking sanctioned by the EU * EIB transport lending off course thanks to climate and biodiversity blind spots * Crisis loans set to dig more holes in Serbia * Croatia to become dumping ground of Europe? * Real costs of nukes in central and eastern Europe unleashed * The road to cyanide gold is paved with abuses