EU funds fossil gas in Poland and Romania despite climate goals
June 6, 2023
More than EUR 1.5 billion in EU funds has been provided to Poland and Romania for fossil gas projects since 2014. The two governments have earmarked even larger sums for the current EU budget period despite the bloc’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report released today by CEE Bankwatch Network.
Briefing for the EIB Board on the Budapest Airport expansion project
May 2, 2023
This briefing shows how this EIB-financed project continues to violate the fundamental rights of residents, which are enshrined by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
The reconstruction of Ukraine: lessons from the post-war recovery in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia
April 14, 2023
This briefing analyses the lessons learned from the post war reconstruction in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia and how they can be considered during Ukraine’s reconstruction.
If you’re in a hole, stop digging: a case study on Hungary’s plans to revisit shale gas and on the environmental, social and health impacts of fracking
February 28, 2023
In 2022, Hungary announced an energy emergency and, to address the crisis, plans to increase domestic fossil gas production. A key part of these plans was to develop an unconventional fossil gas (‘shale gas’) field in Békés county (the Corvinus project
Riga’s climate neutrality planning: an example of realistic ambition and public engagement
February 15, 2023
This briefing provides an overview of the planning process Riga city council took when designing the Riga Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan Until 2030, as well as insight into the plan itself.
Biodiversity on the brink: What’s holding back financing for nature in the EU?
February 7, 2023
This report provides insights into a number of significant barriers at the national level to financing nature restoration and conservation measures, such as authorities’ lack of knowledge about what constitutes biodiversity, insufficient collaboration between actors and excessively restrictive funding criteria. It also includes recommendations for both the EU and national levels.
Conditionality mechanisms and the green transition: the case of EU funding for Poland
February 6, 2023
The dispute over the rule of law between Poland’s government and the European Commission culminated in a recent announcement by EU officials to block funds for Poland. The country’s authorities must take the Commission’s reservations seriously and address them immediately. Meanwhile, they must start implementing investments planned in the cohesion policy programmes as soon as possible to better address the challenges posed by the climate and energy crises.
Open letter to the European Commission: environmental reforms and civil society engagement are key for Ukraine’s reconstruction and European accession
February 3, 2023
On 1 February, representatives of Ukrainian and international civil society organisations sent an open letter to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. In the letter, they call on the European Union to support civil society engagement and the incorporation of green principles into Ukraine’s reconstruction process, which will go hand in hand with the country’s EU accession.
EBRD investments in Ukrainian agro-giant MHP under investigation
February 2, 2023
After years of community complaints about the environmental and social damage caused by Ukrainian agro-giant Myronivsky Hliboprodukt (MHP), independent investigators are now looking into the role of international public finance in contributing to those harms. Considering the current food crisis, Ukraine’s important role in the global food supply chain and the prospect of more international investments to prop up Ukraine’s economy, it is time for financiers to learn the lessons of their past mistakes.
REPowerEU deal is a blow to a more climate-oriented energy policy in central and eastern Europe
December 22, 2022
Six months after the proposal was put forward, a deal was struck by EU negotiators on the financial leg of the REPoweREU plan, the EU’s strategy to cope with the energy crisis and phase Russian fuels out of the market. National governments will be invited to quickly add new chapters to their recovery plans, which is potentially good news and a chance to further invest in the energy transition. However, Member States must avoid falling into the trap of fossil fuels, which are making a comeback in the palette of investments eligible for EU funds.