Climbing together: Is the Social Climate Fund working for those who need it most?
June 13, 2025
This report evaluates the quality of stakeholder involvement and the design of national social climate plans in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.
Bulgaria’s opportunity to address energy and transport poverty: The Social Climate Fund challenge
June 4, 2025
The European Union’s Social Climate Fund presents Bulgaria – one of the EU’s poorest Member States – with a significant opportunity to tackle energy and transport poverty. Under this funding instrument, the country has been allocated a total of EUR 2.5 billion for the 2026–2032 period. However, concerns are mounting that weak planning, institutional resistance to reform, and a lack of transparency could prevent this funding from reaching the people who need it most.
CEE Bankwatch Network’s consultation response on the Connecting Europe Facility – Energy funding
June 3, 2025
The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is meant to implement infrastructure projects which aim to strengthen trans-European energy, transport and digital networks.
From grassroots activism to fighting Goliath
June 2, 2025
From grassroots defiance to a force for accountability, Bankwatch’s story begins long before its founding in 1995. Amid collapsing regimes, our network channelled the energy of civil resistance into a brave new experiment in public oversight and transparency.
Joint NGO statement: New EU budget must ensure dedicated funds for environmental protection and just transition in the Western Balkans
May 28, 2025
68 civil society organisations have today issued a joint statement calling on the EU to ensure dedicated funds for environmental protection and just transition of coal-dependent regions in the Western Balkans in the post-2027 EU budget.
Joint NGO statement on the future of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) in the post-2027 EU budget
May 28, 2025
This joint statement signed by 68 civil society organisations calls on the EU to ensure dedicated funds for environmental protection and just transition of coal-dependent regions in the Western Balkans
Landmark moment for Berlin’s heating transition: BTB bids farewell to coal
May 26, 2025
On 20 March 2025, Berlin marked a major milestone in its energy transition. Blockheizkraftwerks- Träger- und Betreibergesellschaft mbH (BTB) – one of the city’s district heating suppliers – officially burned coal for the last time at its Schöneweide district heating plant. This decisive step paves the way for a cleaner, smarter, and more collaborative energy future for the German capital – and beyond.
CEE Bankwatch Network submissions to the 2nd PCI/PMI list consultation
May 16, 2025
The European Commission published the 2nd PCI/PMI candidate list of hydrogen infrastructure projects in November 2024. The public consultations were carried out from February to April in 2025, with the list of confirmed projects expected in November 2025. We reviewed 12 candidate PCI hydrogen infrastructure projects across 6 countries in central and eastern Europe: Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.
Latvia’s cohesion policy at a crossroads: Balancing security priorities and green investments
May 14, 2025
Latvia is rethinking how it allocates its EU cohesion policy funds, as growing security concerns linked to the regional geopolitical climate put pressure on previously agreed green investment priorities. But will this shift towards national defence undermine the country’s long-term environmental and climate goals?
Encouraging local input: Łódzkie voivodeship takes a more inclusive approach to just transition planning
May 13, 2025
Non-governmental organisations in Poland’s post-coal regions face several unique challenges. The specific socio-economic conditions prevalent in these areas often impede the growth of a fully professionalised and well-organised environment that allows civil society to thrive. Yet, despite these challenges, signs of progressive change are emerging.
