Trouble in the air: EIB ignores environmental and social burdens caused by Budapest Airport expansion
October 11, 2021
The Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport is located 16 kilometres from the centre of Budapest. With a licence for a capacity of 6 million passengers per year and 15 million in the peak year of 2019, new plans to develop the airport aim to increa
Briefing for the European Commission: the Polluter Pays Principle in the just transition process – diagnosis and recommendations
October 7, 2021
The Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) is one of the biggest concerns in the implementation of just transition support. This Principle should ensure that polluters bear the costs of their pollution and are incentivised to avoid environmental damage. However
Why can a third of European Investment Bank lending evade the Bank’s environmental and social rules?
September 21, 2021
The European Investment Bank’s (EIB) financial intermediaries (FIs) help the EIB to reach smaller clients than it would otherwise be able to finance. The EIB’s global lending via intermediaries amounted to EUR 22.6 billion in 2020. In the EU, credit li
Making human rights a true priority of the EIB: Joint CSOs statement
September 14, 2021
Bankwatch, together with civil society organisations worldwide, is closely following the ongoing review of the EIB’s Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework (ESSF). The draft Environmental and Social Policy and related standards proposed by t
Joint civil society letter to EIB’s President Werner Hoyer on Bank’s Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework (ESSF)
September 14, 2021
Bankwatch, together with civil society organisations worldwide, is closely following the ongoing review of the EIB’s Environmental and Social Sustainability Framework (ESSF). In this context, we sent several joint CSO submissions highlighting concrete
Just transition in Poland – an overview of territorial just transition plans from six coal regions
September 2, 2021
Poland is one of the countries in central and eastern Europe that plans to use European funds to finance just transition in their coal regions. In order to receive the funds, these regions will need to prepare Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs).
Coal in Romania – a review of coal assets and their impact on the environment
August 16, 2021
This report documents the power plants and coal mines in Romania in order to understand their negative impact on the environment, economy and public health and support a more rapid coal phase-out. The analysis was performed based on information collect
Romania’s recovery and resilience plan: Investments and reforms conflicting with the decarbonisation process of the energy sector
August 8, 2021
As the European Commission is currently reviewing the Romanian Recovery and Resilience Plan, there is a risk that billions of euros in public money might end up supporting the fossil fuels industry. This briefing provides an analysis of the recovery pl
When Nature Shows the Way: supporting biodiversity for Europe’s green recovery
July 14, 2021
Biodiversity loss and climate change are the biggest environmental threats we face today. To address such crises, the EU has set in place a series of climate and environmental objectives as part of the European Green Deal. However, in order to achieve
Concern for irrigation, drainage and other water management measures in national recovery and resilience plans
July 14, 2021
The briefing outlines proposals for widespread irrigation and water management measures within six central and eastern European recovery plans and explains why these measures will likely be damaging to biodiversity. These include the development of int
