The day renewable energy was killed in the Czech Republic
November 14, 2011
The Czech renewable energy industry last week received a strong blow from our very own Parliament which approved measures that will likely smother the sector in a bill ironically entitled the „Renewable energy sources support bill.”
European Parliament makes a step towards putting the ‘E’ into EBRD
October 19, 2011
By requesting a number of changes at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Parliament has confirmed at least some of Bankwatch’s criticism of the bank’s mode of operation and (in a subtle way) also its overall approach.
There is a light at the end of the EIB tunnel
October 18, 2011
The European Investment Bank finally invited for a dialogue with civil society organisations. It might be a little ambitious to say that true dialogue happened there, but certainly the NGOs were able to send a couple of strong messages to the EIB Board, and, for a while, it felt like the Board was listening.
Did the glimmer of gold blind the EBRD?
October 11, 2011
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has become a stakeholder in a company that is involved in gold mining in a UNESCO World Heritage site in Russia. Not only does this violate its own Environmental and Social Policy, but it also tells me a lot about the bank’s assessment of partner companies.
R1 Prague motorway, Czech Republic
May 9, 2011
Prague motorway’s ringroad R1 is a crucial part of the Czech Republic’s Trans-European Network (TEN-T). However, some of the road sections being planned for construction are failing to fulfil TEN-T project criteria and their cost-effectiveness is highly questionable.
Ignoring Chernobyl’s lessons – How EU ‘Energy Security’ expands nuclear energy in Ukraine
April 26, 2011
As the world marks the 25th anniversary of the world’s worst nuclear disaster at Chernobyl and against the backdrop of the threat from Fukushima’s nuclear facilities, our study reveals that the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are indirectly supporting lifetime extensions of old Ukrainian nuclear reactors as a means to secure ‘cheap’ Ukrainian electricity exports to the EU Member States.
D8 Motorway, Czech Republic
February 18, 2011
The D8 motorway is part of the Berlin – Prague – Budapest – Sofia – Istanbul European multi-modal transport corridor IV. The controversial history of its construction started fifteen years ago when the Czech government reapproved a motorway scheme that was conceived in 1963.
Vienna-Brno motorway, Austria-Czech Republic
February 18, 2011
The currently proposed route for the new Brno-Vienna motorway via Mikulov and Drasenhofen, promoted by the Austrian and Czech governments, could become the most expensive and environmentally destructive way to link these two central European cities.
EBRD can’t stay away from Russian motorways – Khimki destruction goes ahead while women and children are being arrested
February 11, 2011
Yesterday, police in Khimki arrested an activist of the Movement for the Defence of Khimki Forest. The activist Alla Chernyshova and her daughters of 3 and 6 had to spend more than five hours in custody where she was questioned as the main suspect for a false bomb threat.
Getting from A to B while cutting out the GHGs – Is some ambitious, climate-real transport lending about to turn up at the EIB?
December 7, 2010
In the face of official EU statements stressing the need to decarbonise Europe’s transport sector, our analysis has found that a rise in EIB lending between 2006 and 2009 for roads and aviation has coincided with a dramatic decrease in EIB lending for urban public transport.
