Civil society appeal to Slovak government to stop reallocation of EU Funds to road building
February 23, 2011
Authorities in Slovakia are planning to reallocate EU funds initially destined for the support of education, science, employment, regional development, the fight against social exclusion as well as rail development in favour of disputable construction of motorways. (Similar moves are also planned in Poland and the Czech Republic.) 26 Slovakian environmental and social NGOs have called on their government and EU institutions to put a stop to the reallocation. According to the groups, the reallocation is contradictory to both national legislation and EU funds decision-making rules.
Civil society letter urging EC president Barroso to halt EU financing for Russian toll roads
February 23, 2011
A coalition of major Russian NGOs is urging President Barrosso to make sure that EU financing institutions halt their participation in toll motorway projects in Russia until there are serious improvements in the human rights and public participation situation associated with these projects.
Open letter requesting the Council of the European Union to implement the EC’s recommendations for Regional Policy
February 18, 2011
The General Affairs Council on Monday, February 21 will draw conclusions on the 5th cohesion report. On this occasion, Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe remind EU member states and ministers attending the council of the importance of implementing the recommendations in the European Commission’s communication ‘Regional policy contributing to sustainable growth in Europe 2020’ (pdf).
Serbian shadow report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
February 9, 2011
Bankwatch’s Serbian member group Center for Ecology and Sustainable Development (CEKOR) has worked together with three Serbian human rights organisations on a shadow report complementing the country’s official statement to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Analysing the legal and factual status of Roma in Serbia, the shadow report draws heavily on examples from the Gazela bridge rehabilitation project in Belgrade.
Summary of independent environmental examination of the Moscow-St.Petersburg motorway project, section 15-58 kilometres (Khimki Forest)
February 1, 2011
The examination was initiated by a coalition of environmental NGOs and carried out by 18 experts in the field of environmental protection, environmental law, forestry, urban planning and transport development. It was handed over to Russian president Medvedev on February 1, 2011.
NGO coalition statement on the future Cohesion Policy post-2013
January 31, 2011
On the occasion of the 5th Cohesion Forum, the Coalition for Sustainable EU Funds lays out their common vision on the future Cohesion Policy in this paper.
Bankwatch contribution to the public consultation process of the Green Paper on the future of EU budget support to third countries
January 31, 2011
For several years now, Bankwatch has monitored EU budget support in east European Neighbourhood Partnership (ENP) countries. In our submission to the public consultation we reflect on how EU budget support can become more effective and efficient for countries within the ENP/ENPI framework.
Bankwatch input to the EC’s consultation on bio-waste recycling targets
January 31, 2011
Bankwatch’s comments support the introduction of a biowaste directive as the only way to implement the EU waste hierarchy in central-eastern European (CEE) countries.
Bankwatch input to the EBRD’s public information policy review – stage one: comments on the existing policy
January 28, 2011
Bankwatch’s submission draws heavily on earlier comments (pdf) provided by Bankwatch and the Global Transparency Initiative during the 2007/2008 PIP review but also includes amendments from our experiences with the current policy’s implementation. A particular cause for concern is the lack of transparency in case of global loans given to financial intermediaries.
Civil society letter to IFC requesting to include lessons learned from the Chad-Cameroon and BTC pipeline projects in the assessment process of the Nabucco pipeline project
January 20, 2011
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is considering financing the Nabucco gas pipeline project. Should the IFC decide to finance the project, it risks repeating the serious economic, environmental, social and human rights mistakes associated with the Baku Tbilisi Ceyhan (BTC) and Chad-Cameroon pipeline projects and involving the World Bank Group in another highly problematic, politicized and economically and environmentally unsustainable project.
