Promoters of mega-dam in Georgia use front group and PR campaign and discredit local community
February 27, 2014
Georgian public opinion backs the village of Kaishi in the Georgian mountains that defiantly defends its land and tradition against the planned Khudoni dam. The project promoters have now embarked on an all-out promotion campaign including a fake non-governmental organisation.
The EIB’s double standard for human rights in Ukraine and Egypt
February 24, 2014
While drawing concrete consequences from the violence that happened in Ukraine, the European Investment Bank seems to be unmindful of the ongoing human rights abuses and killings in Egypt.
In Albania, oil’s history casts long shadows over locals
February 21, 2014
The findings of a visit to the EBRD sponsored Patos Marinza oil field in Albania show how local development and investments in resource extraction often do not go hand in hand. The case provides valuable lessons for the revision of the EBRD’s safeguard policies.
Appeal to the EBRD to freeze Ukrainian projects until government allows for a peaceful resolution of the current crisis
February 20, 2014
In light of the recent violence in Ukraine, Bankwatch is asking the EBRD, the largest foreign investor in Ukraine, to refrain from any further cooperation both on new and current projects until the government takes decisive and peaceful steps to end the escalation of the current crisis, ends human rights violations committed by government forces, shows clear commitment to settling the political crisis in a peaceful way and addresses the key concerns of the protests.
EIB suspends operations in Ukraine, EBRD ducks the question
February 20, 2014
Kiev – The European Investment Bank announced the suspension of all activities in Ukraine yesterday following the most violent day since protests in this country began. In its turn, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development declared it would “concentrate on the private sector”, hardly a meaningful stance considering the close links between government and the business sector in this country.
Energy Community Treaty revision – NGO policy briefing
February 20, 2014
The EU-backed Energy Community Treaty, which brings together the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova in order to integrate them with the EU energy market. Although original Treaty contains some environmental obligations for signatory countries, it pays relatively little attention to environmental and public health concerns. This in turn increases the likelihood of EU countries importing energy produced at great costs to the people and environment in accession and neighbouring countries. The current revision of the Treaty is a valuable opportunity to rectify this problem.
GMOs, water grab and ice cream for the masses – the EBRD gets involved with Nestlé Egypt
February 13, 2014
Update: The EBRD clarified in its correspondence with Baby Milk Action that its loan will not be used to finance infant nutrition.
Georgian hydro projects are a test case for the EBRD’s good governance policies
February 12, 2014
As activists pointed out at a consultation meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia’s hydropower sector has plenty of lessons to be learned by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Media brief: Silver lining in the Energy Community Treaty
February 6, 2014
Currently, a High Level Reflection Group is evaluating the institutional set-up and working methods of the Energy Community and will report this June with suggested improvements to the Ministerial Council. Yet the composition of this group and the informal reports from its first meeting suggest that the environment is in danger of being neglected once again in the updated Treaty.
Ukraine and the EBRD: More than technicalities derail the fight against corruption
February 6, 2014
Before claiming the moral high ground on fighting corruption in Ukraine, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development should first of all brush up its own transparency policy and drop old-fashioned arguments in favour of confidentiality and secret conditionalities in its projects.