The Euro-Caspian Mega Pipeline – another ‘Blair rich project’
August 8, 2014
The hiring of former British prime minister Tony Blair to advise a BP-led consortium pushing forward with plans to pump Caspian gas from Azerbaijan to Europe has bumped the ‘Euro-Caspian Mega Pipeline’ (ECMP) into western media coverage and lead to criticism of yet another unsavoury Blair consultancy.
EU funds and biomass: Slovakia risks losing sight of both the wood and the trees
August 8, 2014
EU funds for the 2014-2020 budgetary period look set to further fuel the massive over-exploitation of biomass for energy use in Slovakia. Formally, both the European Commission and the Slovak Ministry of Economy have announced the introduction of sustainability rules to govern the use of new EU money. Yet only the final phase of EU funds programming – now under way – will determine whether or not this latest injection of EU investment money will recklessly contribute to the destruction of Slovakia’s key natural treasure – its forests.
Opportunities and expectations towards the EIB climate policy review
July 24, 2014
After effectively phasing out lending to lignite and coal-fired power plants in its energy policy in 2013, the EIB is now reviewing its climate policy. This joint NGO letter expresses the expectations towards the EIB to align its lending further with climate science and the EU Roadmap 2050 by proposing a genuine strategy for the bank to phase out funding for projects that are detrimental to the climate and to mainstream climate considerations into each and every sector of operations the Bank is engaged in.
Polish region an unexpected champion of green energy citizen projects
July 21, 2014
As EU Member States continue to negotiate with the European Commission their spending plans for the next Cohesion Policy funds for 2014-2020, the Polish region of Podlaskie in the northeast proves an unexpected champion for the green energy citizen’s revolution in Poland.
City of Zagreb still playing with fire
July 18, 2014
Seasoned Bankwatch-watchers may recall our successful four-year campaign to stop the EBRD from financing a waste incinerator just outside Zagreb. Between 2005 and 2008, we supported Zelena akcija/Friends of the Earth Croatia and local group UZOR to prevent the City of Zagreb from building a huge 385 000 tonnes per year waste incinerator in Resnik on the outskirts of Croatia’s capital.
Deficiencies in the implementation of the partnership principle in Cohesion Policy – Response from DG Regio
July 16, 2014
This is the response to a letter from 19 European organisations regarding deficiencies in the implementation of the partnership principle in Cohesion Policy.
Streamlining environmental assessment procedures for Projects of Common Interest (PCIs)
July 15, 2014
This briefing outlines the environmental legislation related to investments that have been designated as Projects of Common Interest (PCIs). Through this briefing we explain for a range of stakeholders – namely civil society organizations (CSOs), local municipalities and national authorities – what are the PCIs and why these audiences should ensure that these projects do not cause undue environmental damage.
Briefing: Turceni coal power plant rehabilitation
July 12, 2014
While it may seem to be an environmental project at a quick glance, there are a number of facts that question the justification of the Turceni unit 6 rehabilitation project. The Turceni unit 6 project isn’t just a rehabilitation of the power plant unit, it is part of a county-wide operation with ignored social and environmental impacts. The immediate question is whether this is it really a pollution reduction project.
Civil society recommendations for the European Investment Bank’s transparency policy
July 1, 2014
As the EIB prepares the review of its 2010 transparency policy, the signatories of this letter convey key positions and concerns regarding the policy and how we believe it needs to be amended.
Massive EU gas investment a mistake
June 27, 2014
Friday’s (27 June) gathering of EU ministers is the second time this month to discuss, among other things, Europe’s supply of natural gas.
