Left jobless after eviction from Vinca landfill, Roma begin negotiations with Belgrade after complaint to the EBRD
Blog entry | 22 April, 2021The EBRD’s accountability mechanism has launched a problem-solving initiative to negotiate issues of affordable housing, access to education and income generation for the Roma families that were evicted from the Vinča landfill. In the two years since the eviction, these issues were not addressed, so the EBRD’s mediators will facilitate a problem-solving process between this vulnerable group and the city of Belgrade.
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Half green and half-blind on democracy. As the EBRD turns 30 the vision of its founders is still far out of sight
Blog entry | 14 April, 2021The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was created in 1991 at a unique moment in history: after the fall of the Berlin wall, the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the run-up for the Rio Earth Summit on Sustainable Development and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
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Thirsty hydropower: misuse of drinking water pipelines has destroyed a river in Bulgaria
Blog entry | 30 March, 2021The Blagoevgradska Bistritsa hydropower cascade was planned to use only the drinking water of the town of Blagoevgrad. Eight years later, it has used more than double the water allowed, leaving the river ‘even without frogs’. Our latest report shows the need for more scrutiny of EIB and EBRD lending through intermediary banks.
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Blagoevgradska Bistritsa hydropower cascade (Bulgaria)
Publication | 30 March, 2021The Blagoevgradska Bistritsa hydropower cascade in Bulgaria consists of eight small hydropower plants installed on pipelines that supply the town of Blagoevgrad with drinking water. The plants were developed by the private company Blagoevgradska Bistri
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Indorama Agro workers are fighting to register the first independent trade union in Uzbekistan
Blog entry | 26 March, 2021International civil society urges the Uzbek government and development banks to support the registration of the trade union in a joint statement released today, as workers organising the union are met with threats.
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Joint Statement Regarding the Establishment of an Independent Trade Union in Uzbekistan
Publication | 26 March, 2021On March 19, 2021, over 200 employees of Indorama Agro in the Syrdarya region of Uzbekistan held a meeting to establish the independent trade union, “Xalq Birligi” (People’s Unity), the first of its kind in the country. This initiative was a response t
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Unrest in Armenia casts shadow on developments at controversial gold mine
Blog entry | 9 March, 2021As the unfolding political crisis engulfs the streets of Yerevan, recent developments at the Bern Convention and EBRD portent a rocky future for the Amulsar project.
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Actions speak louder than words: gender equality policies in development banks
Blog entry | 8 March, 2021Promoting gender rights and women’s empowerment has become a trend among multilateral development banks (MDBs). Organising discussions on best practices and promoting gender-related issues is welcome, but it is crucial that banks ensure meaningful protection and support to the women most affected by international public investments.
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Oyu Tolgoi Mine, Mongolia: A Raw Deal ICT metal mining case study
Publication | 1 March, 2021As Mongolia’s flagship mine project, Oyu Tolgoi is often advertised as a world-class, sustainable, safe and energy-efficient mining project, but in reality, it has been subject to controversy on multiple occasions due to corruption scandals, tax disput
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Divide and Rule: EBRD and EC decision-making on Corridor Vc South Mostar investments should not marginalise opponents of the valley route
Blog entry | 22 February, 2021Citizens from South Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, will be waiting with their whole hearts for the results of the upcoming EBRD Board meeting on 25 February. The meeting agenda has an item that will affect the lives of people in that area – Corridor Vc in FBH – Part 3 – Operation Change Report. In the week before the decision the EBRD client, JP Autoceste, in collaboration with the bank, has attempted to demonstrate support for the currently selected valley route, while excluding and marginalising local opponents.
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