Round table discussion debates Latvia’s approach to inequality
November 18, 2015
Now that the Sustainable Development Goals have been adopted by the United Nations, their implementation has to be discussed in depth and at a country level. Bankwatch member group Latvian Green Movement therefore organised a high level discussion about goal no. 10, inequality on 20 October 2015. The main task of the event was to find a starting point by identifying existing Latvian policies in the field of inequality reduction within and among countries.
Export finance in Slovakia – for coal, against sustainable development
November 17, 2015
Slovakia’s official stance in the upcoming climate negotiations in Paris Climate Summit is no progressive one. An argument often heard is that a small country like Slovakia plays only a little role. The handful of coal plants in Slovakia cannot “compete” with the CO2 emissions of economic giants like the United States or China. And we do not significantly contribute to migration caused by climate impacts. But that is not true.
Adriatic countries united in combating oil drilling in the Adriatic Sea
November 16, 2015
In October, the S.O.S. Adriatic coalition gathered representatives of environmental organisations and initiatives from Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Italy to form a common platform for protecting the Adriatic from oil pollution.
How art can help challenge our perspective on development
November 16, 2015
On the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October, Polish Green Network inaugurated their annual Global Justice Night in Szczecin, Poland with the aim to debate global interdependencies, our role in this process and its impact on countries in the Global South.
Information on EIB loans to Volkswagen must be made public – letter to the EIB’s board of directors
November 12, 2015
In late September, shortly after news of VW’s emissions manipulation broke, CEE Bankwatch Network contacted the European Investment Bank (EIB) with a detailed request to disclose information about its immense support to VW Group. In view of the profound public interest in the case, the highly insufficient responses we have received so far are particularly disconcerting. In this letter, Bankwatch therefore asks the EIB’s board of directors to turn to the bank’s Management Committee for the public disclosure of information related to EIB loans for the Volkswagen Group.
Poland and the Energy Union: Legitimising Europe’s flagship climate laggard?
November 9, 2015
It’s no secret that Poland is not the biggest proponent of ambitious European climate and energy policies. Rather than give Poland the extra nudge it needs to transform its increasingly obsolete energy system, the Energy Union risks sustaining – and legitimising – the Polish addiction to fossil fuels.
NGO letter to EU institutions: Take immediate action to respond to the dieselgate scandal
November 9, 2015
The dieselgate scandal is symptomatic of a ‘better regulation’ agenda in favour of cutting compliance costs and replacing the role of the public regulator with corporate co- and self-regulation. More than 35 civil society organisations have signed this letter calling for immediate and transparent investigations; EU oversight in the process of type approval for motor vehicles; strengthened enforcement of environmental legislation at EU and Member State level; the suspension of fraudulent companies from the EU lobby register until it has been demonstrated that they comply with EU law.
Environmental organisations deplore ‘lost year’ for environmental protection
November 2, 2015
Brussels, November 2 – One year since the entry into office of the current European Commission headed by Jean-Claude Juncker, environmental groups have criticised the EU executive for a paralysis in policymaking on issues related to the environment.
Up in smoke: the billions for Europe’s auto industry from the EU’s house bank
October 21, 2015
In the wake of last month’s Volkswagen (VW) emissions scandal, a Politico story, based on a Bankwatch analysis, revealed that the car manufacturer enjoyed generous public financial support from the European Investment Bank (EIB). But the full picture is even more disturbing.
Czech government pushes people to edge in new coal mine expansion
October 19, 2015
Prague – In a landmark decision today, the Czech Republic reversed a quarter century-old ban that prohibited the expansion of surface mining in an area of Northern Bohemia, allowing excavation in close vicinity of homes of more than 120 000 people.
