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
A case study on the Beli Kamen and Komalj hydropower plants on the Crni Rzav and Ribnica Rivers in Serbia
April 22, 2021
The small hydropower plants Beli Kamen and Komalj are built on the Crni Rzav and Ribnica Rivers of the Drina basin in western Serbia. Both plants are interconnected, as they use water from the same intakes and were financed by the European Investment B
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
Assessment of Estonia’s proposed Recovery and Resilience Facility measures
April 20, 2021
This briefing provides an overview of Estonia’s proposed measures (as of 18 April) for spending funds from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. Estonia has not shared an overarching plan that details how the country will utilise the facility, but
The Romanian renewable energy sector: a potential still untapped
April 8, 2021
This report assesses the development of the Romanian renewable energy sector, identifies the main public policies needed to support this sector and offers recommendations to ensure the sustainable growth of the sector until 2030. The European Green Dea
Tashlyk hydro pumped storage plant, Ukraine
April 7, 2021
On 12 May 2020, the European Investment Bank (EIB) announced that it is considering financing the completion of the Tashlyk hydro pumped storage plant (HPSP) project. The Ukrainian state-owned enterprise National Nuclear Energy Generating Company (Ener
Blagoevgradska Bistritsa hydropower cascade (Bulgaria)
March 30, 2021
The Blagoevgradska Bistritsa hydropower cascade in Bulgaria consists of eight small hydropower plants installed on pipelines that supply the town of Blagoevgrad with drinking water. The plants were developed by the private company Blagoevgradska Bistri
Joint Statement Regarding the Establishment of an Independent Trade Union in Uzbekistan
March 26, 2021
On March 19, 2021, over 200 employees of Indorama Agro in the Syrdarya region of Uzbekistan held a meeting to establish the independent trade union, “Xalq Birligi” (People’s Unity), the first of its kind in the country. This initiative was a response t
The EU Recovery Funds: time to start properly investing in biodiversity and nature conservation
March 18, 2021
The state of nature is in crisis. A recent European Environmental Agency (EEA) report reveals that 81 per cent of habitats in Europe are in ‘poor condition’, and without swift action this dire situation will only become worse. We need systemic and wide
Jadar Lithium Mine, Serbia: A Raw Deal ICT metal mining case study
March 15, 2021
The Jadar River Valley in western Serbia has the potential to become home one of the world’s largest lithium mines, supplying 10% of the world’s demand and supporting the neighbouring EU’s digital transition agenda. The Serbian government, therefore, p
