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).
Investment priorities in the environment and climate change sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina
October 2, 2014
The Bosnian NGO Center for Environment developed this position on the possibilities for investments in resource efficiency projects in the country.
On Evgeny Vitishko, multilateral development banks and the criminalisation of public criticism
September 26, 2014
The recent rejection to release Evgeny Vitishko’s, an imprisoned environmental activist in Russia, illustrates the backlash against fundamental rights and freedoms in some countries. Multilateral development banks need to take notice of this trend and be more wary of the risk that their lending may strengthen authoritarian regimes.
Ukraine’s energy sector: badly in need of repair
September 25, 2014
Ukraine’s energy sector faces unprecedented challenges, from a reliance on expensive fossil-fuel imports to inefficient infrastructure and markets. But rather than viewing this as a vulnerability, Ukraine’s energy sector is potentially a low-hanging fruit for reform, notes a new report from the NGO CEE Bankwatch Network.
Balkans-Visegrad civil society exchange: case studies from internships
September 24, 2014
A compilation of 4 case studies as a result of internships carried out in Visegrad countries – Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia – by Bankwatch member and partner organisations CEKOR (Serbia), Center for Environment (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and EDEN Center (Albania).
Will Ukrainian coal hijack today’s Energy Community meeting?
September 23, 2014
Currently presiding over the EU-backed Energy Community’s Minsterial Council, Ukraine will likely try to dilute environmental regulations in the Treaty. But the country’s ageing coal-fired power plants are troubled by inefficiency and pollution and in dire need of environmental improvements.
