The European Investment Bank is not ready for a capital increase, NGOs say
May 15, 2012
Brussels – As EU Ministers of Finance are currently gathering at the Annual General Meeting of the European Investment Bank (EIB) to discuss a possible capital increase, civil society organisations that monitor the EIB say the bank is not ready for such a move.
Video projected on the European Parliament questions potential European Investment Bank’s capital increase
May 14, 2012
Brussels – On Monday night a video was projected on the building of the European Parliament which denounced the unsustainable energy portfolio of the European Investment Bank (EIB). The 1 minute video concluded with: “Make the EIB chose a brighter future before increasing its capital”, a message for EIB governors which gather Tuesday 15 May in Brussels during the bank’s Annual General Meeting. The main topic will be a possible capital increase of the EIB.
EBRD fresh plans show intent to pour more public money into coal
April 26, 2012
Brussels – In a draft mining strategy published yesterday, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) made it clear that it intends to continue investing in the coal sector for years to come.(1) Supporting the coal sector with European public money is unacceptable, according to CEE Bankwatch Network, as it undermines the EU’s climate policy and the transition to a decarbonised European economy that the EU and the EBRD both claim to support.(2)
Member States set to block greening of next Cohesion Policy
April 24, 2012
Brussels — Meeting today in the General Affairs Council, leaders of EU Member States have significantly watered down last year’s Commission proposal on greening the next Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 (1). Much of the power over how to spend EU regional funds is set to remain with national governments with only weak demands placed on the capitals over how to spend EU funds towards building a low-carbon European economy.
Slovenia: The EBRD freezes loan disbursements in Alstom’s coal project over corruption allegations. NGOs call on the EIB to follow suit
April 18, 2012
Paris, 18 April 2012 — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced that it is freezing the disbursement of the promised EUR 100 million loan for the construction of a new lignite block at thermal power plant TES 6 in Šoštanj, Slovenia. The decision by the EBRD comes after a group of Slovenian and international NGOs approached the EBRD asking for the bank to halt the loan until corruption allegations are investigated.(1)
Gazela reloaded: another illegal Roma resettlement in Serbia on account of an EIB funded project
April 13, 2012
Belgrade – By the end of April, one hundred Roma families are expected to be illegally resettled from Belgrade neighbourhood Buvljak to several locations including Resnik, where current inhabitants are these days protesting against their arrival [1]. The resettlement is being carried out by Belgrade authorities without a proper resettlement plan or any consideration of the needs of the Roma and potential for inter-racial conflict [2]. The move is deemed necessary as part of the Sava Bridge and adjacent road construction, financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank respectively. [3]
EBRD: New president – new direction for the bank?
April 2, 2012
With the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the process of selecting a new president [1] as the term of current office holder Thomas Mirow approaches its end, CEE Bankwatch Network, an NGO that has been monitoring the EBRD for over a decade, makes a call on the bank’s shareholders and new president to reassess some of its past – faulty – approaches:
Bankwatch report: EU supports nuclear life time expansion in Ukraine
March 8, 2012
Money from Euratom and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is to be used to finance the life time expansion of Ukrainian nuclear reactors, 12 of which had initially been scheduled to close down no later than 2020, according to an expert report published today by CEE Bankwatch Network.
The dirty French-Slovenian connection
February 23, 2012
Slovenian state anti-corruption body claims ALSTOM could have benefited from corrupt acts to get deal to build new lignite plant at Sostanj.
Romania: New coal plants to be built with EU aid for greening economy
February 22, 2012
Bucharest – One of the eight Member States applying for EU help consisting of free of charge GHG emissions allowances from 2013 to 2019, Romania intends to implement investments which will lead to maintaining or even increasing the high share of coal in the country’s electricity production, thus contradicting the goals of the EU aid scheme.
