Europe has ambitions to become the first climate–neutral continent. But transforming energy systems, especially in central and eastern Europe, requires substantial investment due to outdated infrastructure and reliance on fossil fuels.
While the EU budget currently funds this transition, the key challenge is to ensure impactful, high-quality investments that are both environmentally and socially just.
Involving citizens in investment decisions leads to better outcomes, including greater acceptance, a stronger sense of ownership, and fewer harmful projects.
Bankwatch works to align EU financial flows with the European Green Deal objectives, ensuring they meet the needs of people and the planet.
IN FOCUS
Just transition
Countries across central and eastern Europe are committing to quit coal and shale oil. Now the task is to ensure that the just transition is driven from the bottom up and leaves no one behind as we move towards a sustainable energy future.
Building back biodiversity
Threats facing biodiversity are increasing alongside the drivers of the climate crisis. But investments in climate protection should not come at the expense of those that can help biodiversity. The two crises of climate and biodiversity are interconnected and both must be tackled together, because only by investing in nature can we tackle climate change.
RegENERate: Mobilising Regions for Energetic Re-development and Transformative NECPs
The overall objective of the project is to support the CEE countries’ contribution to the EU efforts towards a net-zero emissions future. The project will contribute to more ambitious and effective climate and energy policies in CEE, backed by a long-term commitment to phase out fossil fuels, improve energy efficiency and promote renewable energy.
RePower the Regions: Ambitious and inclusive clean energy plans for repowering the just transition regions
The participation and leadership of carbon-intensive regions in transitioning to clean energy solutions are prerequisites for achieving EU climate neutrality by 2050. Building on this premise, RePower the Regions aims to ensure that the regions’ clean energy plans are aligned with EU 2030 climate goals and have strong support locally, and to provide practical guidelines and roadmaps on how to repower the regions.
Latest news
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?
Read moreWestern Balkans gets second chance at just transition: Can new support platform deliver?
Blog entry | 15 July, 2026For coal-dependent communities in the Western Balkans, the launch of the JET Balkans project marks a welcome end to more than two years without a dedicated regional support platform. But with political commitment, funding and transparency still in short supply, local authorities and civil society are wondering whether the initiative can turn planning into meaningful implementation, or whether it will repeat the shortcomings that have slowed just transition efforts across the region.
Read moreSpending without substance: Czech flagship industry programme fails to track climate impact
Blog entry | 10 July, 2026The Operational Programme Technologies and Applications for Competitiveness (OP TAC) is one of the Czech Republic’s flagship EU funded programmes for the 2021–2027 period.
Read moreRelated publications
Joint NGO proposals on the GAWB Action Plan: Part 3 – governance, monitoring, reporting and other mechanisms to support the implementation of the Sofia Declaration
Briefing | 1 October, 2024 | Download PDFThis paper, developed by a group of NGOs led by Bankwatch, provides suggestions to improve the Green Agenda’s governance, monitoring and reporting.
How to advance a just transition in the Western Balkans: Recommendations for the EU and national institutions
Briefing | 27 September, 2024 | Download PDFThis briefing takes stock of the current situation with the decarbonisation of the Western Balkans’s economy and summarises the progress on just transition in each country.
Keeping the promise: Why the Just Transition Fund must be maintained in the next EU budget
Joint statement | 18 September, 2024 | Download PDFThis joint statement lays out why the Just Transition Fund should be extended into the next EU budget, and offers recommendations to guide further improvements within the next programming period to deliver results that contribute to both EU cohesion and climate neutrality.
