Energoatom lawsuit against Ukrainian activists is the latest attempt to stifle public debate over an ageing nuclear energy fleet
Press release | 28 August, 2015A Kiev court held yesterday the first hearing in a case brought by Energoatom, Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear power plants operator, against the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine (NECU), a civil society group, member of the CEE Bankwatch Network.
Read moreGuest post: Behind the glitz of oil riches – the shrinking space for democracy in Azerbaijan
Blog entry | 29 July, 2015Last week, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved a loan over half a billion dollars for Lukoil’s share in the Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan. In this guest post, rights activist Emma Hughes from Platform reflects on how business as usual resumes after the media attention on Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses has faded.
Read moreEuropean funding for a Lukoil gas project in Azerbaijan tramples the EU’s commitment to both climate action and human rights
Press release | 23 July, 2015A USD 500 million loan for the share of Russian gas giant Lukoil in a major gas project in Azerbaijan has been approved yesterday by the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Yet, the decision will significantly hinder Europe’s commitments to decarbonise as well as to advance democracy.
Read moreAzeri regime stifles criticism ahead of European Games. European lender must finally take measures.
Blog entry | 10 June, 2015UPDATE 1 12h CET 12 June 2015 Platform have taken to the streets of London to protest the opening of the European Games. See a video of the action below, and read more in their book published Friday, All that glitters, which explores how the European Games belong to the Aliyev regime and the British oil company BP and how sport is being co-opted in the service of a dynasty and fossil fuels. ––––
Read moreItalian mayor stands up against EU priority gas pipeline
Blog entry | 8 June, 2015Local opposition against the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP) is growing as an Italian mayor made clear in an open letter to the European Commission and European public banks.
Read moreTransforming development finance? Europe’s multilateral lenders fail on aid transparency
Blog entry | 4 June, 2015The recently published 2015 Aid Transparency Review concludes that the European Union is off track from meeting its aid transparency commitments. Europe’s two multilateral development banks are indicative of the altogether rather disappointing outcome.
Read moreEurope’s Caspian gas dreams – a nightmare come true for human rights in Azerbaijan
Blog entry | 14 May, 2015As investors and officials are promoting a gas pipeline project from the Caspian Sea to Italy, the systematic repression of human rights in Azerbaijan is hardly on the official agenda. The Aliyev regime’s weakly veiled attempts to muzzle dissent illustrate how even the most repressive governments are acceptable partners for Europe’s pet energy projects.
Read moreGuest post: Plight of locals at Kumtor mine brought to Centerra Gold’s general meeting in Toronto
Blog entry | 11 May, 2015Journalist and researcher Ryskeldi Satke reports on Centerra Gold’s annual general meeting where mining activists presented shareholders with information on human rights violations and the negative environmental and social impacts of the Kumtor Gold mine.
Read moreThursday’s decision to suspend operation of a Soviet-era nuclear unit in Ukraine should lead to its retirement
Press release | 4 May, 2015Prague, Kiev – CEE Bankwatch Network and the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine (NECU) welcome the Ukrainian State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate Council’s decision at its meeting last Thursday (April 30) to suspend the operation of unit 2 in the South Ukraine nuclear power plant once it exceeds its design lifetime next week. According to the Council’s decision, a lifetime extension license for this 30 year old nuclear unit could be considered in the future, but only if all required conditions are met.
Read moreUkraine’s Other Chernobyls
Blog entry | 30 April, 2015For safety reasons, Europe must help the Ukrainian government retire, not revive, its nuclear reactors. (This commentary originally appeared on Project Syndicate.)
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