Comply or Close 2025: Seven years of deadly legal breaches by Western Balkan coal plants
June 17, 2025
The end of 2024 marked seven years since the deadline passed for power plants in the Western Balkans to meet new air pollution standards.
Western Balkans: coal pollution increases due to government failures – new report
September 17, 2024
In 2023, Western Balkan governments’ dereliction of their law enforcement duties again allowed an increase in sulphur dioxide (SO2) pollution from the region’s antiquated coal power plants, according to the sixth edition of Bankwatch’s Comply or Close report, published today (1). Dust and nitrogen oxides (NOx) pollution from coal plants also continued to exceed legal limits.
Comply or Close 2024: six years of deadly legal breaches by Western Balkan coal plants
September 17, 2024
The end of 2023 marked six years since the deadline passed for power plants in the Western Balkans to meet new air pollution standards. Yet the deadly air pollution from the region’s mostly antiquated coal power plants has hardly decreased at all since 2018.
Western Balkan coal power plants polluted twice as much as those in the EU in 2019
July 12, 2021
The non-compliance of Western Balkan coal power plants with the emission limits enshrined in the Energy Community Treaty is reflected in the region’s high sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX) and dust emissions. This briefing looks mainly at th
Trading profit for health: exploring Bosnia’s toxic relationship with coal
December 6, 2019
In Europe, there is still a place where coal is transported by a steam locomotive: the Banovići mine in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Trading profit for health: exploring Bosnia’s toxic relationship with coal
December 6, 2019
Source: Trading profit for health: exploring Bosnia’s toxic relationship with coal
The great coal jobs fraud (2018 UPDATE)
June 28, 2018
This study, an update of our November 2016 analysis, examines the claims and finds that in almost all cases, they are exaggerated. In fact, even the current levels of employment cannot be maintained and some companies such as Elektroprivreda Srbije and
Construction permit denied for Banovići coal power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina
December 15, 2017
Plagued by a number of unsolved issues, the Chinese-backed Banovići lignite power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been dealt a major blow.
Balkan governments unprepared for new EU pollution rules
August 17, 2017
New EU rules entering into force today, to limit pollution from power plants, will also apply in most Western Balkan countries. But the region’s governments are so far acting like they don’t exist.
What will it take to make Balkan leaders realise new coal plants are a liability, not a gold mine?
June 16, 2017
Almost all the countries in the Balkan region are planning to build new coal power plants, but there has been virtually no mention of the need for them to comply with new pollution standards.
