Another chip off the EBRD block – Kronospan expansion in Belarus
December 2, 2014
In October this year, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved an up to EUR 50 million loan to a Belarusian subsidiary of the Austrian company Kronospan for the expansion of a particleboard facility at Smorgon in the Grodno region of Belarus. Belarus will provide a guaranteed return on investment for both Kronospan and the EBRD. With the country’s rich wood resources, generous state tax incentives, weak legal environment, toothless trade unions, cheap labour and a generally stifled civil society, the EBRD and its client are not likely to run into the same environmental and legal difficulties experienced by Kronospan in other eastern European countries.
The Visegrad 4 and the Balkans working together for resource efficient development
November 24, 2014
In the last four years, Bankwatch has invested significant efforts in building the capacity of CSOs in the Western Balkans on various topics, particularly on the funding mechanism Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA). This compilation is intended to serve CSOs in IPA beneficiary countries and provide information about some good practices from Visegrad 4 coutries that can now be implemented in the Balkan region. It is our hope that it is found useful and worthy of distribution across the region.
EBRD sticks to business as usual despite Ukraine facing war and severe shortages
November 21, 2014
With Ukraine’s ongoing fight for sovereignty and integrity emphasising once more the country’s energy vulnerability in front of Russia, the need to radically reform the Ukrainian energy sector became crucial for the survival of the country. And yet, moves in this direction are way too slow. Despite positive rhetoric on the need to prioritise energy efficiency, some European donors such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development continue with business as usual, spending huge resources on large infrastructure projects that do not address the country’s immediate need for improved energy security.
Letter to EBRD: National ROads Programme in Macedonia
November 6, 2014
The Great Rush – The European Union’s responsibility in natural resources grabbing
October 31, 2014
Land, forests, water and raw materials are valuable resources that increasingly interest the major players of the economy of our planet. This report collects 16 case studies from around the world in order to better understand the impacts of natural resource grabbing on the local communities, clarify the responsibilities of the European Union and, in conclusion, examine actions to be undertaken to invert this phenomenon.
The Boskov Most hydropower plant, Macedonia
October 20, 2014
The Boskov Most hydropower plant includes an accumulation dam 33 metres in height and a power plant with a total capacity of 68MW, Around 80 per cent of the project falls within the territory of the Mavrovo national park, the largest and richest national park in Macedonia. Three years after the signing of a loan agreement over EUR 65 million from the EBRD, little progress has been made with the project. This briefing details several reasons why the project should not receive support from the EBRD.
Poor quality of draft ESIA report for Part C and D of the 750 kV Rivne – Kyiv High Voltage Line Project
October 17, 2014
Letter to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 17 October 2014 – Download as pdf Letter to the European Investment Bank, 31 October 2014 – Download as pdf
European Banks are most opaque multilateral organisations, 2014 Aid Transparency Index
October 8, 2014
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are ranked 16th and 17th respectively out of 17 multilateral organisations on the 2014 Aid Transparency Index (ATI) which is published today. The transparency index comes at a momentous time for the EIB as the institution is currently reviewing its transparency policy and NGOs fear that the ‘EU bank’ is preparing to further downgrade its transparency requirements.
Flood impacts kept secret by hydropower plant constructor in Georgia
October 6, 2014
Georgian Urban Energy (GUE), the company in charge of constructing the Paravani hydropower plant (HPP), has been keeping secret a study on the potential flooding risks associated with the facility, despite requests and promises from the EBRD that such an analysis would be made public.
Opportunities for resource efficiency investments in Serbia
October 2, 2014
A position paper on the possibilities for investments in resource efficiency projects in Serbia by the Serbian Bankwatch member group Center for Ecology and Sustainable Development (CEKOR).