Comments on draft European Energy Community Strategy – an unsustainable energy future
October 15, 2012
Neighbouring countries of the EU from the Western Balkans to Ukraine are planning unsustainable energy futures relying on coal and nuclear. The energy strategy of the European Energy Community indicates continued reliance on coal and nuclear energy which could happen with EU support and financing.
Environmentalists, get your keyboards ready: The European Investment Bank asks for inputs on its energy policy
October 11, 2012
With annually more than ten billion euros of investments in the energy sector, the EIB can have a tremendous influence on our energy future. If we want the bank to help us “get it right”, the time for providing inputs is now.
Trust us, we’re euphoric – Private equity and a tax haven part of the EBRD’s first post-Arab Spring swoop
October 8, 2012
For its first loan to ‘Arab Spring’ countries the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has chosen vehicles and partners whose ability to deliver developmental value is highly uncertain.
How the facts got in the way of a good EBRD Roma headline
October 8, 2012
This summer’s ‘silly season’ featured a a blog post on the EBRD website replete with the claim that the bank has helped turn Serbia into a “role model for social inclusion of Roma”. This claim immediately rang hollow in light of the ongoing plethora of abuses of Roma rights in Serbia.
The Oil Road – How a done deal continues to unravel
October 8, 2012
The Oil Road by James Marriot and Mika Minio–Paluello is a remarkable recounting of their journey along the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline from Azerbaijan to the City of London. It is a narrative peppered with a wealth of cultural, social and economic history and kaleidoscopic insight from the Caspian region and beyond.
Egypt’s turmoil is a distraction from the west’s economic agenda
October 8, 2012
The storming of the US embassy in Cairo has diverted attention once again from the real issues facing Egypt. It couldn’t have come at a better time for those who want to convince the Egyptian people to accept an International Monetary Fund loan and other western IFI interventions, and thus extend former president Hosni Mubarak’s liberalisation of the economy.
Croatian coal power plans advancing despite legal violations and economic unfeasibility
October 8, 2012
It has been a busy time of late for the planned EUR 800 million, 500 MW Plomin C coal power plant. The Croatian government is pressing ahead with the project under the assumption that it will – along with the equally controversial EBRD-financed Ombla hydropower plant – save Croatia’s ailing economy. Yet it is far from certain who will actually participate in the project, let alone finance it.
Open letter to Serbian president: Protect our property in the Vreoci cemetery
October 4, 2012
The letter is asking the Serbian government to protect Vreoci community property in the Vreoci cemetery and especially an orthodox chapel that is property of Vreoci citizens.
European public banks must improve transparency
October 1, 2012
Brussels – The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) score low on transparency according to the ‘2012 Aid Transparency Index’ [1] published today by the campaign group ‘Publish What You Fund’.
Can Ukraine abandon nuclear energy? Yes we can
September 30, 2012
This briefing examines how Ukraine can reduce its dependency on nuclear energy, without sacrificing its ability to meet demands. The results show that Ukraine could very well satisfy its electricity needs even when it shuts down expired nuclear power plants, does not built new ones, and neither increases the use of coal in thermal power plants.
