Proposed EU loan would make Tunisia’s debt problems worse, say CSOs
March 28, 2014
– MEPs to vote on new loan in April. – Tunisia is already paying more to its Western creditors than it receives in loans and grants, and almost all of the new loan would be used for debt repayments. Civil society groups from Tunisia and Europe are urging the European Parliament to concentrate on debt relief instead of voting through a EUR 300 million loan to Tunisia, arguing that this will only add to the country’s huge existing debt burden.
Failure to keep up with EU climate and energy policies will move South East Europe away from the EU, say NGOs
March 20, 2014
As the EU Council tomorrow debates A framework for climate and energy in the period from 2020 to 2030, proposed by the European Commission, NGOs today called for much stronger environmental and climate commitments in the upcoming revised Treaty of Energy Community, which brings together the Western Balkan countries, Ukraine and Moldova, during a public hearing taking place in the European Parliament.
NGOs respond to EU aid for Ukraine: watch for the devil in the details
March 6, 2014
Prague — As the European Council on aid to Ukraine concludes today in Brussels NGOs caution that the 11 billion euros put forward by the EU come on terms which will not necessarily foster an independent, self-reliant Ukraine.
European Development Bank: Backward Step on Rights – Draft Policy Would Weaken Protection
March 5, 2014
(London) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) new draft Environment and Social Policy would fail to weed out abusive development projects, seven human rights and bank watchdog organizations said today in a joint statement. The bank’s consultation on the draft policy closes on March 5, 2014. It then has an opportunity to revise the policy before sending it to the bank’s board for approval in the coming months.
EIB suspends operations in Ukraine, EBRD ducks the question
February 20, 2014
Kiev – The European Investment Bank announced the suspension of all activities in Ukraine yesterday following the most violent day since protests in this country began. In its turn, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development declared it would “concentrate on the private sector”, hardly a meaningful stance considering the close links between government and the business sector in this country.
Mind the environmental gap in south east European electricity market plans, say civil society groups
February 6, 2014
The new version of the EU-backed Energy Community Treaty must ensure that EU environmental and climate standards apply in countries that want to export electricity to the Union, says CEE Bankwatch Network in its submission to the public consultation on the review of the Treaty, which officially closes today.
Leaked document: Doubling of electricity tariffs in Ukraine, condition for EBRD nuclear safety loan
January 27, 2014
The project through which the life time of old Ukrainian nuclear reactors is being prolonged with EBRD financing would not be economically feasible without a doubling of electricity tariffs, shows a document leaked to EurActiv last week.
UPDATED: Slovenia continues to fall into the economic abyss of the lignite plant at Sostanj
January 24, 2014
Ljubljana – The scandal-marred lignite plant TES 6 at Sostanj in Slovenia will likely cost 1.44 billion euros (2 billion US), more than double than what was initially predicted, and is due to produce annual losses of 50 million euros, show calculations recently revealed by Slovenian media. These cost escalations, predicted by NGOs critical of the project, should constitute a word of caution for other countries in South-Eastern Europe that are considering building new coal capacities.
EBRD set to backtrack on environmental and social safeguards
January 22, 2014
A draft released yesterday of the Environmental and Social Policy of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development shows that, instead of strengthening the policy to provide for better implementation, the bank opens several loopholes which ensure that approval of financing is achievable for problematic projects.
Bosnia and Herzegovina breaches Energy Community Treaty commitments, says official NGO complaint
January 16, 2014
Banja Luka – Bosnia and Herzegovina is failing on its Energy Community obligations by allowing Stanari lignite plant to pollute 2-3 times more than EU standards, shows an official complaint submitted today by NGOs Center for Environment from Banja Luka and ClientEarth to the Vienna-based Energy Community Treaty secretariat.
