In Georgia, leaked contract shows Nenskra hydropower project to cost country USD 60 million a year
June 10, 2019
For immediate release. Prague, Tbilisi – A leaked contract between the Georgian government and the company behind the Nenskra hydropower project includes terms that indicate the project will incur massive losses for the state, according to a report broadcast on 8 June by the national television station Rustavi 2 [1].
Money for nothing: Ugljevik III coal concession must be cancelled, not bought off
June 7, 2019
After years of speculation about the Ugljevik III coal power project in Bosnia-Herzegovina, this week’s news is that the government wants to buy off Comsar Energy’s concession. Yet if the company hasn’t fulfilled the conditions from the contract, why should it be rewarded?
New study finds climate and energy plans at odds with EU targets for circular economy and emissions reductions
June 5, 2019
For immediate release – Five countries in central and eastern Europe all plan a variety of waste incineration methods in their national energy and climate plans (NECPs), jeopardising their ability to meet mandatory European targets aimed at improving recycling rates, fostering a circular economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the sector, finds a new report from CEE Bankwatch Network.
Waste incineration with energy recovery in the NECPs of Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia
June 4, 2019
Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia all plan to expand the use of waste incineration to generate energy (mostly heat) as part of their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). These plans will lead to much higher greenhouse gas emissions (
Taking the chill off Romania’s residential buildings
June 4, 2019
Energy efficiency is taking centre stage in the Energy Union. Last summer, after long negotiations between the Parliament and the Council, a new energy efficiency target was set at 32.5 per cent by 2030. To meet the target, Romania is channelling public funds into renovating its residential sector which accounts for as much as 86 per cent of the country’s built environment.
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Environmental permit for Buk Bijela hydropower plant cancelled
May 30, 2019
The Banja Luka District Court has cancelled the environmental permit for the planned 93 MW Buk Bijela hydropower plant on the river Drina in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Aarhus Resource Center in Sarajevo has announced today, following the court’s positive 13 May ruling on the Center’s complaint.
Bulgarian villagers call on the EBRD to ensure fair resettlement by coal company it finances
May 29, 2019
Beli Bryag, Bulgaria – Around one hundred villagers in the village of Beli Bryag, in Bulgaria’s Stara Zagora region, are anxiously awaiting for a resolution to their claims of proper resettlement by the Maritsa East mines, the company gearing up to expand its lignite mine to where the village currently stands. They have only until the end of the year before they are expropriated. [1]
EBRD to Stop Financing HPPs in Protected Areas – Exit – Explaining Albania
May 28, 2019
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced that starting from January 1, 2020 it will not finance hydropower plants (HPP) projects in areas with high biodiversity. EBRD’s new environmental and social policy sets stricter
EBRD tightens standards in response to Balkan hydropower boom
May 16, 2019
As a result of public resistance to small-scale hydropower projects in the Balkans, from the beginning of 2020, the EBRD will ask commercial banks to refer all high-risk projects – including all hydropower plants – for additional checks. The EBRD also requires them to meet higher environmental standards than previously. The bank will ask that such projects are disclosed to the public on the financial intermediary’s website, finally increasing disclosure on these hitherto hidden projects.
Nenskra hydropower project: May 2019 update
May 14, 2019
Given the complexity of the Nenskra project and its immense impact on indigenous Svan communities and the country’s fiscal stability, the EBRD should take responsibility and not provide financial support until the project is properly assessed. Read mor
