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 But transforming energy systems, especially in central and eastern Europe, requires substantial investment due to outdated infrastructure and reliance on fossil fuels.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
Activists call on EU to better protect nature from energy infrastructure in the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova
Press release | 14 March, 202360 civil society organisations have sent a joint letter to the EU Commissioner for Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, calling on the EU to better protect nature during energy infrastructure development under the Energy Community Treaty (1).
Read moreSuccessful renewables acceleration needs more public participation, not less
Blog entry | 27 February, 2023In December 2022, the Council of the European Union adopted an emergency regulation aimed at speeding up renewable energy deployment. But Member States have to uphold environmental safeguards and consult the public if they don’t want to end up doing the opposite, warns our new position paper.
Read moreConditionality mechanisms and the green transition: the case of EU funding for Poland
Blog entry | 6 February, 2023The dispute over the rule of law between Poland’s government and the European Commission culminated in a recent announcement by EU officials to block funds for Poland. The country’s authorities must take the Commission’s reservations seriously and address them immediately. Meanwhile, they must start implementing investments planned in the cohesion policy programmes as soon as possible to better address the challenges posed by the climate and energy crises.
Read moreRelated publications
Towards a just transition in the national and regional partnership plans: Recommendations on regional chapters
Briefing | 12 June, 2026 | Download PDFIn the context of Europe reshaping its cohesion policy, this briefing explains why regional chapters in the post‑2028 funding framework must be mandatory, properly financed, and built on credible just transition plans. Without guaranteed regional ownership, targeted support, and strong technical capacity, the shift to a climate‑neutral economy risks deepening territorial divides, sidelining carbon‑intensive and peripheral regions, and slowing Europe’s competitiveness at a moment when no region can afford to fall behind.
Unlocking nature financing: National cost estimates for effective nature restoration
Report | 11 June, 2026 | Download PDFTo support national planning, CEE Bankwatch Network and EuroNatur, in cooperation with national partners, led a study in five Member States – Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary and Croatia – to estimate financing needs for effective nature restoration.
Mixed signals from the European Commission: Undermining housing affordability and the energy transition in central and eastern Europe
Briefing | 29 May, 2026 | Download PDFThis briefing highlights the potential impacts of two recent EU policy developments and also presents several successful examples from central and eastern Europe.
