Zero hour for energy ministers to halt the expansion of Europe’s fossil gas network
June 10, 2021
Calls to curtail the expansion of fossil gas infrastructure are mounting, and on Friday (11 June) EU energy ministers have a chance to ensure Europe’s cross-border energy infrastructure is in line with the leadership role it has taken in the global effort to stem the climate crisis
Joint CSO letter on the TEN-E regulation: Stop the expansion of fossil gas
June 1, 2021
This advocacy letter aims to express civil society organisations’ concerns on the reintroduction of fossil gas in the revised trans-European infrastructure energy (TEN-E) regulation. Bankwatch and 53 other CSOs ask governments to vote against the incl
Billions of EU recovery money to support fossil fuels
May 31, 2021
Several EU states plan to use the EUR 672 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility to expand fossil gas infrastructure using loopholes in the fund’s regulations. These proposals do not comply with objectives of the European Green Deal and recent recommendations from the International Energy Agency to end funding for fossil fuels, warns CEE Bankwatch Network.
The role of gas in the recovery and resilience plans
May 31, 2021
This briefing analyses plans for gas investments in the recovery plans of eight central and eastern European countries (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia). It reveals that most contain gas investments,
Assessment of Slovakia’s recovery and resilience plan
April 23, 2021
This briefing provides an overview of Slovakia’s proposed measures (as of 22 April) for spending funds from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. Slovakia’s draft recovery and resilience plan has been shared with the public, but consultation on th
Assessment of Poland’s recovery and resilience plan
April 22, 2021
This briefing provides an overview of Poland’s proposed measures (as of 21 April) for spending funds from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. A draft of the Polish recovery plan was published in late February, after non-governmental organisation
District heating in the Western Balkans – we need clean, modern heating that works for everyone, for the long term
April 20, 2021
Heating in the region is still largely based on fossil fuels or wood, the district heating networks are in dire condition, and in poorly insulated buildings winter is not as cosy as it could be. Authorities across the Western Balkans need to pay much more attention to planning and implementing clean and modern heating solutions.
When courts help cloak export credit agencies’ financial clout
April 19, 2021
Operating far from the public eye, export credit agencies offer state backing worth billions of dollars every year that in too many cases have enabled both the fossil fuels industry and human rights abuses around the world. These influential public finance institutions have also been relentless in resisting civil society legal challenges to shine a light on how they use public money.
Czech recovery plan a few steps away from being on the right path
April 19, 2021
Thanks to pressure from civil society, several harmful investments in highways and gas infrastructure were taken out of the Czech recovery plan, pushing it towards more of a green recovery. Still, an almost complete lack of allocations for biodiversity and several questionable climate measures set the plan back.
Opportunities for biodiversity and environment missed in Bulgarian recovery plan
April 15, 2021
Instead of reforms, the country plans to rehab an irrigation system that can potentially destroy wetlands, and without transparency and public dialogue, the plan cements business-as-usual. With a 30 April deadline for submitting national recovery plans approaching and recent parliamentary elections, the Bulgarian government is failing to propose reforms and measures for biodiversity, sustainable agriculture and low carbon economy. Instead, actions such as rehabilitating state-owned irrigation systems not only contradict national strategies but might damage valuable wetland habitats. A lack of transparency and public dialogue casts a further shadow on the process.
