Baseball bat attack hospitalises Khimki Forest activist, latest violence connected with controversial Moscow-St Petersburg motorway plans
November 4, 2010
Environmental and human rights activist Konstantin Fetisov of Khimki near Moscow was today assaulted near his house by unknown assailants wielding a baseball bat and is now in a serious condition in hospital.
Bankwatch reaction on Commission’s new budget proposal No more excuses for clean energy budget holes
October 19, 2010
Reacting to today’s European Commission Communication on the forthcoming EU budget review for the 2014-2020 period, the public funds watchdog group CEE Bankwatch Network called for concerted Commission and member state commitment to boost EU-funded clean energy programmes in central and eastern Europe.
No public money for Nabucco – mega gas project a drain on clean energy, human rights and the environment, says Bankwatch
September 6, 2010
Budapest, Hungary — Reacting to today’s announcement by the Nabucco Consortium that international public banks are now officially commencing their appraisal of the EUR 7.9 billion (estimated) Nabucco gas pipeline project, watchdog group CEE Bankwatch Network called on the international financiers to reject what would be record European public finance for the project and instead to focus on the financing of clean energy in central and eastern Europe, particularly climate-friendly, job-boosting energy efficiency.
Civil society groups welcome cancellation of Slovak D1 motorway PPP
September 3, 2010
Friends of the Earth CEPA (Slovakia) and CEE Bankwatch Network applaud today’s cancellation [1] of the 9 billion euros public-private partnership (PPP) for the first phase of the D1 motorway in Slovakia and urged the new government to change the project’s routing to avoid damaging the Mala Fatra and Velka Fatra National Parks.
Khimki Forest movement leader violently detained in Moscow
August 4, 2010
Yevgenia Chirikova, the leader of the Movement to Defend Khimki Forest, has today been forcibly detained by police in Moscow immediately after a press conference on the persecution of activists opposing the construction of a motorway through the Khimki Forest just outside Moscow. [1] At the time of writing she has been released after several hours of interrogation, but urged to come to Khimki’s police station tomorrow for another round of questioning.
Groups blast veiled decision-making at European Commission as mining industry revels in rejection of crucial Parliamentary resolution
July 7, 2010
Environmental organisations have today criticised Commissioner Janez Potocnik for heeding mining industry lobbyists over a democratically elected European Parliament, in failing to open public discussions and rejecting a resolution to ban the use of cyanide in mining processes throughout the European Union.
New report: EU funds must plug clean energy gap in central and eastern Europe
March 3, 2010
On the day that the European Commission launches its vision for 2020, its ‘Europe 2020 strategy’, a new report from CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe lays out how improved targeting of EU structural and cohesion billions for energy efficiency and renewables can get the EU – and particularly the new member states in the east – on track to meet and exceed emissions reduction targets for tackling climate change.
Transparency allergy reappears at EIB, crisis billions still cloaked in confidentiality
February 4, 2010
CEE Bankwatch Network today criticised the European Investment Bank (EIB) for adopting a new transparency policy that persists in keeping the final destination of billions of publicly backed money unknown to the public.
Chelopech gold mine plans frozen, campaigners call for cyanide leaching to be binned
January 26, 2010
An announcement from Dundee Precious Metals that it is freezing plans on its investment at the Chelopech gold and copper mine in central Bulgaria because of ongoing legal challenges has been welcomed by the Cyanide-free Bulgaria coalition.
Bulgarian parliament hears the anti-cyanide concerns of thousands
January 21, 2010
Today at the Bulgarian parliament’s Petitions Committee three public petitions related to controversial mining initiatives were heard, in a process described by ‘Cyanide Free Bulgaria’ campaigners as encouraging and not before time.
