Funding Europe’s Future: How Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 can deliver for Europe’s people and environment
October 24, 2011
The European Commission’s Cohesion Policy regulations fail to earmark sufficient money for green spending in areas such as energy efficiency of buildings, sustainable transport, nature protection or waste management. Next year, the European Council and European Parliament can amend the regulation texts for the better. Our detailed recommendations for EU regional funds 2014-2020 can help them in their task by outlining which types of spending need to be excluded and which encouraged in order to tackle climate change, stop biodiversity loss and reverse resource-overconsumption while modernising our economies.
Story of an artists. Leaflet against EU support for the Sostanj lignite power plant in Slovenia
October 19, 2011
Upset by Slovenia’s plans to build a huge lignite power plant unit in Sostanj, Slovenian artist Marko Kumer-Murc and Slovene environmentalists from Focus brought their protest to Brussels. The leaflet tells Marko’s story and offers a quick round-up of Sostanj and other coal power plants that are supported by international financial institutions.
Letter to EBRD: Don’t support gold exploration in UNESCO site in Russia
October 5, 2011
In August 2011, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced that it was acquiring a stake in GV Gold, one of Russia’s top gold producers, stressing the company’s willingness to meet the Bank’s environmental and social requirements. A GV Gold subsidiary, however, carries out prospecting and plans to mine gold on a territory that is located in its entirety in a UNESCO World Natural Heritage property.
Complaint to European Commission: Inadequate assessment of CCS readiness for Sostanj lignite power plant project
October 3, 2011
Download the complaint as pdf
The EBRD and coal. Dirty business unnoticed.
October 3, 2011
Despite numerous international calls for the discontinuation of public support for fossil fuels in the face of climate change, the EBRD continues to finance the dirtiest among them, coal. What is more, the bank plans to expand its activities in this field. CEE Bankwatch Network urges the EBRD to phase out any support for coal industry making it more competitive and disadvantaging sustainable energy.
Request for information on EIB role in Ostroleka C coal-fired power plant in Poland
October 3, 2011
Press information from September 2011 suggested that ENERGA S.A. is holding conversations with the European Investment Bank about financing a new coal-fired unit in Rzekun also referred to as Ostroleka C. With this letter, Bankwatch inquired whether the EIB is having conversations with ENERGA S.A. and if yes, at which stage they are.
Commentary: Will civil society have a say with the EBRD in the Southern Mediterranean?
September 30, 2011
Preparing for its expansion of operations to the Southern Mediterranean region, the EBRD, after four months of silence, held a consultation meeting with five non-governmental organisations. This briefing gives a short overview over the transparency challenges that lie behind and ahead of the affected civil society.
Bankwatch Mail 49
September 21, 2011
This edition focuses mostly on the European Investment Bank and EU funds related issues. Among the questions we discuss are: How is the EU budget, this 1 trillion euro process, shaping up, and will sustainability finally have a bigger role? and Will EIB investments in the Southern Mediterranean bring benefits to the people there or to Western companies?
EU funds briefing: Transport cohesion on the right track?
September 5, 2011
This paper describes experiences with the EU funded Transport Operational Programmes (further referred to as OPTs) in four central and eastern European countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Poland. Individual country reports have been produced after 4 and a half years of the respective OPTs” implementation in the current EU budgetary period 2007-2013, and they identify the main facts, weak points and lessons learned in the process of preparation and implementation of the programmes.
Report from a fact finding mission to ArcelorMittal Temirtau
August 15, 2011
ArcelorMittal received a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for health and safety improvements in its Kazakh coal mines. While fatal accidents at the mines continue, the company has so far not provided sufficient information to allow the project’s assessment. We visited Temirtau to talk with miners directly about the company’s health and safety performance. Video testimonies can also be seen on our website.
