How Ukraine can turn community needs into bankable projects
Blog entry | 18 August, 2026Ukraine’s public investment management (PIM) system faces a fundamental challenge: communities and ministries often know what they need, but lack the time, data, expertise and money to turn those needs into strong investment projects.
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Death by a thousand transmission lines
Blog entry | 6 August, 2026The EBRD-backed development of the 400/110/35 kV Brezna substation for Montenegro’s transmission grid is opening several crucial questions – where is the red line beyond which a project’s impact on local communities makes it unacceptable? Can this even be assessed when all the institutions and financiers involved fail to identify even the obvious impacts? And why are the project’s backers so reluctant to provide environmental documentation to the affected people?
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Signs of trouble: Drainage pipe near the pristine Bunica river spring causes outcry as Corridor Vc construction affects Mostar communities
Blog entry | 30 July, 2026A large drainage pipe has been recently installed next to the spring of the Bunica River as part of the construction of the European Corridor Vc motorway in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Local residents became increasingly concerned and the issue gained public attention on 3 July 2026 when photographs of the works were widely shared and questions were raised about the purpose of the pipe and its potential impact on the river.
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‘Changing lives’ in Bishkek: The cost of a green transport failure
Blog entry | 16 July, 2026The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) failed to trigger its environmental and social safeguards as the City of Bishkek got rid of 131 trolleybuses purchased with loans from the Bank. Will any lessons be learned from this fiasco?
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Serbia’s district heating utilities approaching breaking point due to gas import dependence
Blog entry | 14 July, 2026The current situation among district heating companies in Serbia provides a timely warning for Western Balkan governments still betting on new fossil gas infrastructure. In recent years, these governments have shown renewed interest in building new gas infrastructure. Many projects have been on the table for years, but new schemes are also being actively promoted by the United States.
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Falling into the same trap: The EBRD’s intermediated exposure to the Amulsar gold mine
Publication | 7 June, 2026The EBRD’s indirect involvement in the Amulsar gold mine in Armenia through Ameriabank has raised concerns about compliance with its Environmental and Social Policy, due to unresolved legacy issues associated with the project.
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Broken safeguards and oversight failures: The case of Almaty International Airport
Publication | 30 May, 2026The EBRD-financed Almaty International Airport expansion and Horizon infrastructure project have been subject to a number of complaints, including alleged legal and heritage protection violations involving the demolition of a protected 1947 terminal building.
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North Macedonia’s waste reform: Two steps forward, one step back
Publication | 27 May, 2026This briefing summarises the findings of a fact-finding mission conducted by CEE Bankwatch Network in February 2026 in Skopje and Novaci to assess waste management reform in North Macedonia.
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Bankwatch’s comments on the EBRD Project Accountability Policy and Independent Project Accountability Mechanism
Publication | 25 May, 2026The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is currently revising its Project Accountability Policy. In this context, Bankwatch is calling for a stronger policy framework that includes clear provisions for remedying harm, enhanced monitoring of management action plans, and safe access to the Bank’s accountability mechanism.
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Living next to MHP: Five years of community monitoring reveal worsening water crisis in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region
Publication | 25 May, 2026Over the past five years, civil society has been monitoring the deterioration of water quality and availability in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region, where MHP operates large-scale poultry production facilities.
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