Shale gas in Poland: Government gags local opposition
April 12, 2013
Poland’s government is hasting to adopt liberal shale gas legislation. It tries to avoid any interference by factually excluding local opposition movements and by pre-empting the development of an EU wide framework on unconventional fossil fuels.
Guest post: A Russian journalist and Khimki forest activist is dead
April 10, 2013
The news circulated yesterday that Mikhail Beketov, a Russian journalist who campaigned against corrupt practices in connection to the planned highway construction through Khimki Forest, has died. This guest post by Mikhail Matveev and Ivan Smirnov, fellow Khimki activists, tells Beketov’s story.
Exposing the nuke-speak: responses to the EBRD’s justification for financing nuclear lifetime extensions
March 29, 2013
In an unprecedented effort to defend its support for Ukraine’s nuclear programme the EBRD publicly replies to some of our objections. Several colleagues sent us their (sometimes outraged) rebuttals, which we include here in our rejoinder to the bank’s arguments.
NGOs to EIB and EBRD: Mistakes like Šoštanj must not happen again
March 27, 2013
Yesterday, 20 March, Focus Slovenia, CEE Bankwatch Network and 96 other NGOs sent a letter to the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), calling on them to never commit to such a misguided loan as they had with Slovenian lignite plant Šoštanj 6.
Polish government accused of gagging anti-fracking groups
March 26, 2013
Poland’s government stands accused of considering new legislation to limit the influence of campaign groups opposed to its plans to frack for shale gas.
EBRD finances lifetime expansion of Ukrainian nukes, but gets defensive about it
March 13, 2013
Kiev – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved yesterday a 300 million euros loan for the so-called “Safety Upgrade Programme” of Ukraine. In reality, the beneficiary company, state-owned Energoatom, will use the money to prolong the lifetime of 12 old nuclear reactors.
EIB, EBRD agree loans for Slovenian coal power plant
March 12, 2013
Europe’s two biggest public banks agreed funding for a lignite-fired power plant in Slovenia, sparking criticism from pressure groups which have questioned the way the project was awarded and its pollution threat.
New nuclear risks in Ukraine – decision expected tomorrow
March 11, 2013
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is expected to take a decision tomorrow on whether or not to provide a EUR 300 million loan for a nuclear power plant Safety Upgrade Programme in Ukraine. This article from our quarterly Bankwatch Mail sums up the issues at hand.
Win win win – CEE public show how to inject quality into EU funded projects
March 7, 2013
Bankwatch’s competition devoted to showcasing ideas for EU funds investments that can generate sustainable development for European communities has proved to be a big success – and it should offer inspiration to EU and national level decision-makers as the task of setting operational programmes, the blueprints for how to spend the EUR 960 billion pot for the 2014-2020 budgetary period, now gets underway.
Shell’s new shale gas frontier in Ukraine: another fossil fuel opening for EBRD?
March 7, 2013
The industry frenzy surrounding the development of shale gas in Europe is gathering pace, with the announcement in late January of a EUR 400 million deal between Shell and Ukraine to develop the country’s shale gas potential.