January 13, 2023 | Read more The Romanian government is again acting contrary to its EU commitments.
December 22, 2022 | Read more Six months after the proposal was put forward, a deal was struck by EU negotiators on the financial leg of the REPoweREU plan, the EU’s strategy to cope with the energy crisis and phase Russian fuels out of the market. National governments will be invited to quickly add new chapters to their recovery plans, which is potentially good news and a chance to further invest in the energy transition. However, Member States must avoid falling into the trap of fossil fuels, which are making a comeback in the palette of investments eligible for EU funds.
December 21, 2022 | Read more The government in North Macedonia wants to link the 40 year old REK Bitola power plant to the regional heating system. But cementing the dependence on fossil fuels would be reckless. Instead, a new study finds that fitting houses in Bitola with air conditioning and solar panels could keep people warm, cut air pollution and even shield against increasingly volatile energy prices. Such households forming energy communities, the study shows, could not only lower initial investments but even generate them some income.
December 16, 2022 | Read more The end of 2022 coincides with the conclusion of the preparation of the 2021-2027 cohesion policy. Soon, the European Commission will approve the last partnership agreements and operational programmes outlining the investment priorities and specific objectives for the following years. At the same time, there are other important processes to follow at the European and national levels.
December 12, 2022 | Read more This Wednesday, the European Parliament plenary will vote on changes to the Renewable Energy Directive. But the proposals seriously undermine environmental safeguards and set impossibly tight deadlines.
December 8, 2022 | Read more The Kazakh city of Almaty joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)’s Green Cities initiative in 2019. How does the first Green City Action Plan in Central Asia reflect public participation?
December 7, 2022 | Read more The challenges that the new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will bring to the Western Balkan countries were the focus of a panel discussion hosted by MEP Petros Kokkalis (the LEFT) and co-organised by CEE Bankwatch and the Green Tank that took place on Tuesday December 6 at the European Parliament.
December 6, 2022 | Read more No justification for more public money going to the fossil fuels industry, say dozens of central and eastern European civil society organisations. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development must urgently shift its investments to help accelerate the energy transition.
December 5, 2022 | Read more Western Balkan countries could collect at least EUR 2.8 billion annually to spend on a just and sustainable energy transition, if a domestic carbon pricing mechanism was in place, finds a new report by CEE Bankwatch Network released today, entitled “The Western Balkan power sector: between crisis and transition”.
November 30, 2022 | Read more Romania’s Government plans to use funds allocated under the REPowerEU package to build nine hydropower projects in protected natural areas, Bankwatch Romania has warned the European Commission today.
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