Juncker’s investment offensive risks turning against Europeans
December 18, 2014
Brussels – Environmental NGOs call on President Juncker, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank to consider for financing from the 315 billion growth package only projects which are sustainable and in line with EU goals and only after proper public consultation with potentially affected communities.
Balkan coal projects face mounting challenges as China and CEE leaders meet in Belgrade
December 16, 2014
Belgrade/Banja Luka/Sarajevo, 16 December 2014: As the third annual summit of Chinese and Central and Eastern European leaders gets underway today in Belgrade, problems are mounting for the lignite projects planned in the Balkan region. Today alone, an official complaint has been submitted to the Energy Community Secretariat on the planned 600 MW Ugljevik III lignite power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a new analysis has been published showing that the planned 450 MW Tuzla 7 lignite plant – also in Bosnia and Herzegovina – is likely to be economically unviable.
Green 10 open letter to VP Timmermans: “Do not kill laws crucial for our health, environment and the economy”
December 11, 2014
The 10 leading environmental NGOs in Europe appeal to Vice President Timmermans not to sink the air and waste packages: “Polluton kills 58,000 persons every year. Are they not European citizens? Shouldn’t the Commission protect their interest too? ”
New money, old ideas: How EU spending plans for central and eastern Europe are selling short a greener future
December 11, 2014
Brussels, December 11 – Central and Eastern European countries are planning to use unacceptable amounts of their €350 billion allocation from the EU budget on dirty energy projects, polluting forms of transport and incinerators, according to a comprehensive analysis of draft government spending plans published today by CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe.
Juncker’s investment package to be hijacked by countries’ destructive plans
December 8, 2014
Brussels – A list of projects member states want to see financed from the Juncker investment package has been made public in expectation of tomorrow’s summit where finance ministers will discuss the package. Coal, nuclear and incinerators are among the various countries’ priorities, which fail to add up to the long-term strategic plan to stimulate growth and sustainability in Europe that Juncker promised.
Boskov Most suspected of breaching Council of Europe nature protection convention
December 5, 2014
Skopje/ Strasbourg – The Standing Committee of the Bern Convention, a binding international legal instrument in the field of nature conservation for signatory countries, announced today (pdf) that it will open a case file to address the complaint made by Eko-svest about the planned hydropower plants in Mavrovo national park.
European Commission opens infringement procedure against Romania over coal mine
December 4, 2014
Bucharest — The European Commission has opened an infringement case against Romania regarding the lignite quarry extension at the Rovinari complex in Gorj County. The Commission suspects Romania of not complying with the EU Directive concerning the environmental impact assessment of projects.
NECU and Bankwatch statement on the incident at Zaporizhye nuclear plant in Ukraine
December 3, 2014
Statement on an incident at the Zaporizhye nuclear power plant in Ukraine, where a power transformer dysfunction occurred on November 28th.
Sostanj lignite plant: A mistake not to be repeated
December 2, 2014
Ljubljana — A new briefing by Slovenian NGO Focus shows how misguided assessments of future viability and corruption led to TES6 lignite unit costing more than double the estimated amount, bringing annual losses of tens of millions of euros, and creating only a fraction of the number of jobs promised.
Juncker investment package shifts risk from private investors to EU taxpayers
November 26, 2014
Brussels – Today European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker will present his widely anticipated 300 billion euro investment package aimed at stimulating growth in the European economy. Central to the InvestEU programme is a 21 billion euro allocation for the newly-created Euopean Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) that has to leverage 315 billion euro from private investors, or 15 times the amount of the fund.
