Transition triumphs and traps – Assessing Poland’s recent economic journey, and where it goes next
June 4, 2014
During last month’s EBRD annual meeting in Warsaw, Bankwatch Mail convened a discussion about the state of the Polish economy between a financial journalist and a sociologist – both residents of the Polish capital – to hear their views on some of the pressing economic issues of the day, as well as the ongoing Polish ‘transition’ process. With the 25th anniversary of the end of communist rule in Poland a few months away now (today in fact marks a quarter of a century since the first Polish elections under communism), what have been the achievements and the lessons to be learned from the last two and half decades?
EU funds draft spending plans reveal flaws in environmental mainstreaming in central and eastern Europe
June 2, 2014
While the EU regulations for the Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 themselves contain many important provisions on integrating environmental protection and fostering sustainable development, the draft Partnership Agreements and Operational Programmes presented by national governments do not fully exploit the potential to build a green, sustainable economy with the help of the EU budget. CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth campaigners across the central and eastern Europe region have reviewed the draft documents, detecting a number of problematic issues – both regarding the funding priorities and the process of EU funds programming itself.
Guidebook to the European Neighbourhood Instrument and the international financial institutions
May 30, 2014
The new European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), will be the key financial instrument for 16 partner countries to the East and South of the EU’s borders (Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine). At the same time the new approach includes an increased external mandate for the EIB for both eastern and southern neighbours, as well as the extension of the EBRD mandate to selected southern Mediterranean countries.
Ending fossil fuel support: NGO recommendations for OECD countries on their Export Credit Agencies
May 27, 2014
According to data compiled by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), between 2007 and 2013 public financial institutions provided at least $55,7 billion in funding for coal projects abroad. The largest proportion of this comes from national Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) from OECD countries, which have provided at least $32 billion over this period or 58% of total support.
Nuclear shadows – transparency failings persist with Ukrainian safety project
May 14, 2014
Twenty years of limited – if not downright poor – transitional progress has demonstrated the inability of European and global institutions to effectively impact development processes in Ukraine.
EBRD transition role in the spotlight again
May 14, 2014
New analysis from CEE Bankwatch Network of how the EBRD conducts its financing and economic advisory activities finds serious deficiencies in the bank’s overall ‘market-oriented’ approach and catalogues a range of startling EBRD interventions in central and eastern Europe (CEE) and further afield that should prompt deeper examination of the bank’s promotional mantra “We invest in changing lives”.
Heavy on the process – EBRD review of governance policies may disappoint many
May 14, 2014
The EBRD’s board of directors is expected, on the eve of the bank’s annual meeting in Warsaw, to approve new ‘good governance’ policies that will have significant bearing on the institution’s future activities. The EBRD’s Environmental and Social Policy, its Public Information Policy and the Rules of Procedure for the EBRD Project Complaints Mechanism have been the feature of multi-stakeholder consultations across the EBRD’s regions of operation in 2013 and into 2014.
Former EBRD president implicated in bank’s controversial fossil fuel loan in Tunisia
May 14, 2014
What began as research into Serinus Energy EBRD loans that were granted to the company in July 2013 for the exploration and expansion of oil and gas fields in the Chouech Essaida, Ech Chouech, Sabria, Sanrhara and Zinnia concessions in Tunisia, has become a story that reflects both the revolving doors culture that permeates elite circles and how the EBRD is able to provide loans that provide absolutely no additionality.
People power having major impact on Kulczyk’s coal power plans
May 14, 2014
Local community and NGO pressure has been making things rather difficult of late for the largest planned new coal-fired power plant in Europe.
IFIs pull out of Turkish coal project – NGO pressure integral
May 14, 2014
Coal power plants are mushrooming all over Turkey, there’s no doubt about that. With the government’s plan to reach 120,000 MW of installed capacity by 2023, double that of today, a 1350 MW power plant in the already heavily industrialised and polluted peninsula of Aliaga in western Turkey could easily have gone unnoticed.
