July 29, 2013 | Read more Montenegrin NGOs Green Home and MANS have today sharply criticised Montenegrin government plans to choose a strategic partner for the EUR 300 million, 220 MW Pljevlja II lignite power plant [1] without conducting a proper tender. Instead the government has stated that it plans to sign an intergovernmental agreement and enact a special law on the project [2], thus signalling, according to the groups, that it plans to use a loophole in the law to avoid a tender procedure. [3]
July 26, 2013 | Read more By putting too much trust in its client EPS, the EBRD failed to notice that an important grievance mechanism for villagers near the mine was not in place – for two years. [*]
July 24, 2013 | Read more Brussels — The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced today an energy policy that while introducing stringent criteria for financing coal power plants does not eliminate the possibility of support for coal or other fossil fuel energy sources.
July 22, 2013 | Read more Despite collecting impressive evidence from 20 years of failed public-private partnerships in central and eastern Europe, an EBRD-financed study by the Economist Intelligence Unit concludes to continue using the controversial financing scheme.
July 22, 2013 | Read more London – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) published July 19 a draft (pdf) of its future energy policy. According to CEE Bankwatch Network, although the bank correctly depicts the urgency of transitioning towards low-carbon economies, it falls short when it comes to commitments: lending to fossil fuels is envisaged to continue, including for coal, the dirties of fossil fuels; and promises to support renewables and energy efficiency, though welcome, are not accompanied by persuasive benchmarks and timelines.
July 18, 2013 | Read more Adequate decision making on energy policies must be based on accurate information and cannot rely on outdated knowledge and misconceptions. A new series of fact sheets explores the myths and facts of Europe’s energy sector.
July 17, 2013 | Read more A thorough check of the European Investment Bank’s energy lending data shows that not all is as rosy as the EIB would like to see it. We’ve paired up with Open Spending to provide an introduction into how to interpret and scrutinise the numbers.
July 11, 2013 | Read more The current review of the European Investment Bank’s mandate for lending outside of the EU brings some of the pitfalls of the bank’s development lending to the fore and offers a chance for improvements.
July 10, 2013 | Read more Brussels, July 10, 2013 – The green potential of a third of Europe’s budget for 2014-2020 has been hollowed-out following a vote in the European Parliament today, according to Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe. The committee for regional development (REGI) has approved proposals to reform EU Structural Funds – money intended to improve the economic well-being of regions – which include a last-minute shift from legally-binding to voluntary environmental spending.
July 10, 2013 | Read more With today’s approval of the watered down proposals to reform EU Structural Funds in the European Parliament’s committee for regional development (see our press release), EU decision makers have taken a step away from ambitious environmental spending in the future Cohesion Policy. At the same time also national level allocation of the 2014-2020 funds is starting to take shape. But efforts to get the funds working sustainably for, and on behalf of, needy local communities are being thwarted in Slovakia – for a range of all too familiar reasons.
Stay informed
Receive our monthly overviews of the latest developments on the ground.
