Romanian court rejects environmental permit, halting destruction of 159 hectares of forests and putting breaks on coal mining expansion
December 11, 2015
Bucharest – A Bucharest court yesterday annulled the environment permit for the felling of another 159 hectares of forest in Gorj country, effectively preventing the expansion of the Roșia lignite mine.
New Bankwatch study: European “green energy” funding for hydropower threatens pristine Balkan rivers
December 11, 2015
Radolfzell, Vienna, Prague – A wave of hydropower development fuelled by European public funding and EU companies is endangering pristine river environments in the Balkans, finds a new study by CEE Bankwatch Network released today.
Ukraine snubs safety concerns and European donors, extends lifetime of fourth Soviet-era nuclear reactor
December 8, 2015
Kiev, Prague – An ageing nuclear unit in the South Ukraine power plant is the latest to have its expiry date rewritten by overzealous Ukrainian authorities, despite a number of pending safety issues and concerns over compliance with international treaties.
Macedonia urged to suspend controversial hydropower project
December 4, 2015
Strasbourg, Skopje, Prague – In the latest blow to planned hydropower dam in Macedonia’s Mavrovo National Park, the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention, the European wildlife treaty, added today its voice to growing calls to reconsider this reckless project. The spotlight is now on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the project’s main financier.
Bankwatch statement on hazardous arsenic waste in Dundee operations in Namibia
December 1, 2015
Last week Namibian news outlets reported on Bankwatch’s findings on the potential impacts of Dundee Precious Metals’ (DPM) operations in the country. Yet, in light of the company’s response we believe a number of points need to be stressed.
The energy dissonance: How EU development funds fuel climate change while leaders talk decarbonisation
November 17, 2015
EU leaders repeatedly voice commitments to spearhead the global effort to tackle climate change, primarily through long-term decarbonisation targets. But a Bankwatch research into the EU’s development funds for neighbouring regions finds that considerably more European taxpayer money is supporting fossil fuels than facilitating a sustainable energy transition.
Harmful hydropower projects in SE Europe enabled by sub-standard environmental assessments
November 13, 2015
Civil society organisations today published a new report looking at the quality of 25 environmental impact assessments (EIA) and 2 strategic environmental assessments (SEA) done for hydropower projects in seven countries in the last five years and examines how the mistakes made in these cases could be avoided in the future.
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.
Ukrainian court backs state attempt to stifle public debate on ageing nuclear fleet
October 29, 2015
Kiev – Today a Kiev court ruled in favour of a defamation lawsuit brought by the Ukrainian state against a civil society organisation, thus backing the government’s attempts to suppress public debate on the country’s ageing nuclear fleet.
EBRD policy breaches at Serbia coal mine confirmed by bank’s own complaint mechanism
October 29, 2015
Prague, Belgrade – A day after the Board of Directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved a new EUR 200 million loan for Serbia’s electric utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS), an internal review at the Bank finds that it breached its own environmental and social policy when approving the previous EUR 80 million loan to the same company.
