March 3, 2021 | Read more The EIB’s lending through intermediary banks is often claimed to be confidential. But this is public money, and the bank’s peers are increasingly doing better. As the EIB reviews its Transparency Policy, it’s high time to up its game.
March 3, 2021 | Read more Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs) are a precondition for European Union Member States to access the EUR 17.5 billion Just Transition Fund (JTF). The plans must outline the expected process of transitioning away from a coal-based economy; the most affected territories and all types of impacts; what operations are envisaged; and how the process will ensure participation, monitoring and evaluation. TJTPs are developed at the sub-regional level; therefore, countries must produce documents for each territory where they plan to spend money from the Just Transition Fund.
February 24, 2021 | Read more Publish What You Fund’s DFI Transparency Initiative is finalising its latest working paper on environmental, social and governance (ESG) and accountability to communities. Ahead of its publication, Fran Witt (Economic Justice and Climate Change Consultant) and Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath (EBRD Policy Officer, Bankwatch) provide a CSO perspective on the transparency and accountability challenges for public development banks (PDBs). They argue that PDBs have much work to do in order to meet their commitments to the rights of project-affected communities.
February 22, 2021 | Read more Citizens from South Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, will be waiting with their whole hearts for the results of the upcoming EBRD Board meeting on 25 February. The meeting agenda has an item that will affect the lives of people in that area – Corridor Vc in FBH – Part 3 – Operation Change Report. In the week before the decision the EBRD client, JP Autoceste, in collaboration with the bank, has attempted to demonstrate support for the currently selected valley route, while excluding and marginalising local opponents.
February 18, 2021 | Read more With less than three months to go before national recovery and resilience plans must be submitted, Member States still refuse to consult with stakeholders about how they plan to spend nearly EUR 700 billion to deliver a green and sustainable recovery. Meanwhile, the European Commission has provided little clarity on its commitment to enforce strong consultation standards when assessing each recovery plan.
February 16, 2021 | Read more Upgrades to the coal power plants in the Western Balkans that would bring down sulphur dioxide emissions are rare. But even where investments have been made, they have so far failed to deliver the much-needed results.
February 10, 2021 | Read more With EUR 57 billion at stake, a letter from environmental CSOs urges the Polish Prime Minister to open the planning process for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) to the public.
February 10, 2021 | Read more Bankwatch is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Vujadin Berberović, president of the Serb returnee association in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who played a key role in mobilising his community to ensure the local residents are equal stakeholders in the development of the Corridor Vc project.
February 9, 2021 | Read more Little is known about how Member States intend to use funds from the EU’s EUR 672 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility, raising concerns about the bloc’s ability to rebound from the economic downturn as it moves towards meeting Europe’s long-term climate and energy goals, finds new research by Bankwatch for the Green 10 network of environmental groups .
January 28, 2021 | Read more With a fair and digital transformation topping the priorities of the Portuguese EU presidency, the European Green Deal’s push for raw materials should not come at the expense of workers, local communities and nature, warns a new report from CEE Bankwatch Network.
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