New study finds climate and energy plans at odds with EU targets for circular economy and emissions reductions
June 5, 2019
For immediate release – Five countries in central and eastern Europe all plan a variety of waste incineration methods in their national energy and climate plans (NECPs), jeopardising their ability to meet mandatory European targets aimed at improving recycling rates, fostering a circular economy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the sector, finds a new report from CEE Bankwatch Network.
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Environmental permit for Buk Bijela hydropower plant cancelled
May 30, 2019
The Banja Luka District Court has cancelled the environmental permit for the planned 93 MW Buk Bijela hydropower plant on the river Drina in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Aarhus Resource Center in Sarajevo has announced today, following the court’s positive 13 May ruling on the Center’s complaint.
Bulgarian villagers call on the EBRD to ensure fair resettlement by coal company it finances
May 29, 2019
Beli Bryag, Bulgaria – Around one hundred villagers in the village of Beli Bryag, in Bulgaria’s Stara Zagora region, are anxiously awaiting for a resolution to their claims of proper resettlement by the Maritsa East mines, the company gearing up to expand its lignite mine to where the village currently stands. They have only until the end of the year before they are expropriated. [1]
Legal challenge mounted against Kosovo coal project’s “absurd” contract
May 13, 2019
Prishtina – Kosovar and international non-governmental organisations [1] have today submitted an official complaint to the Energy Community dispute settlement mechanism challenging the legality of the power purchase agreement for the planned Kosova e Re coal power project, which is currently awaiting ratification by the Kosovo parliament. [2]
European Development Bank Significantly Strengthens its Grievance Mechanism – Reformed Mechanism Now More Independent
May 9, 2019
(Amsterdam, Prague, Washington, D.C.) — Civil society organizations welcomed the new grievance mechanism policy for the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Goldman winner to development banks: drop billion dollar Nenskra dam in Georgia
April 29, 2019
The 2019 winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize from Europe Ana Colovic Lesoska has today called on development banks – the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Asian Development Bank and (ADB) the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) – to drop their funding for the Nenskra hydropower project planned in Georgia’s Caucasus mountains.
EU-China summit an opportunity to tackle Chinese support for coal in southeast Europe
April 8, 2019
Brussels – With the EU-China summit kicking off in Brussels on April 9, Bankwatch launches a new analysis [1] showing 3.5 GW of new coal may be built in southeast Europe with Chinese support, including in EU member states Romania and Greece.
EU parliament reverses course, votes for strong action on climate with future funds for Europe’s needy regions
March 27, 2019
For immediate release. Brussels, Prague – A vote today by the Parliament has excluded fossil fuels from the EUR 320 billion European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Funds for 2021-2027, signalling a clear commitment to the EU’s obligations to reduce greenhouse gases under the Paris Agreement and its net-zero emissions Long Term Strategy.
Energy Community opens infringement procedure against Bosnia-Herzegovina over illegal Tuzla 7 state aid
March 26, 2019
The Energy Community Secretariat has today announced that it is officially opening a dispute settlement procedure on the planned Federal guarantee for a EUR 614 loan from the China Eximbank to build the Tuzla 7 coal power plant in Bosnia-Herzegovina.[1] The procedure can potentially lead to delays in the EU accession process and temporary suspension of financing by EU banks.
Energy Community: Western Balkan coal subsidies worth over 1.2 billion euros in 2017
March 25, 2019
For immediate release. Energy Community countries propped up coal mining and electricity generation with direct and indirect public subsidies totalling at least 2.4 billion annually, out of which around half were provided by Western Balkan countries, shows a study (1) released today by the Vienna-based Secretariat of the Energy Community Treaty, the international treaty working to integrate the energy markets of the EU with those of its neighbours.
