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 But transforming energy systems, especially in central and eastern Europe, requires substantial investment due to outdated infrastructure and reliance on fossil fuels.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
Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland trail as EU recovery fund closes, Bankwatch says
Bankwatch in the media | 12 October, 2026Hungary, Bulgaria and Poland are trailing the rest of the EU in drawing on the bloc’s post-pandemic recovery fund as it enters its final phase, with Romania, Slovakia and Czechia close behind, environmental watchdog CEE Bankwatch Network said.
Read moreEU’s biggest-ever recovery fund faces final judgement – did it benefit citizens?
Press release | 30 September, 2026The Recovery and Resilience Facility, the EUR 577 billion flagship instrument of NextGenerationEU, has entered its final implementation phase. Today marks the non-extendable deadline for EU Member States to submit their final payment requests for post-pandemic recovery and reform projects.
Read moreDeath 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 moreRelated publications
Assessment of Programme Slovakia
Briefing | 4 October, 2022 | Download PDFThis briefing offers an analysis of Slovakia’s operational programme for 2021-2027 and recommendations regarding the potential for increasing the programme’s climate and environmental contributions.
Capacity-Building Workshops in Just Transition Regions
Manual | 10 August, 2022 | Download PDFThe manual aims to provide an easy-to-use and concise overview of the main issues that have to be addressed when organising capacity-building workshops in just transition regions. It also includes a practical checklist that can be used to organise such events.
Comments on the proposal to amend the Recovery and Resilience Facility regulation in the context of REpowerEU
Briefing | 20 July, 2022 | Download PDFThe briefing, prepared by CAN Europe and CEE Bankwatch Network and sent to the Members of the European Parliament on 19th July 2022, assesses key components of the European Commission’s proposal to amend the Recovery and Resilience Facility regulation in the context of the REPowerEU plan and proposes recommendations to feed in the legislative process
