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Another chip off the EBRD block – Kronospan expansion in Belarus

Bankwatch Mail | 2 December, 2014 | Download PDF

In October this year, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved an up to EUR 50 million loan to a Belarusian subsidiary of the Austrian company Kronospan for the expansion of a particleboard facility at Smorgon in the Grodno region of Belarus. Belarus will provide a guaranteed return on investment for both Kronospan and the EBRD. With the country’s rich wood resources, generous state tax incentives, weak legal environment, toothless trade unions, cheap labour and a generally stifled civil society, the EBRD and its client are not likely to run into the same environmental and legal difficulties experienced by Kronospan in other eastern European countries.

Another Polish road construction in Natura 2000 site, another David and Goliath fight to save protected nature

Bankwatch Mail | 2 December, 2014 | Download PDF

Road construction in Poland can be a cause for great controversy, particularly when incomprehensible road designs clash with nature.

Recommendations for the last state of programming of EU Regional Funds 2014-2020 for energy projects

Study | 25 November, 2014 | Download PDF

Bankwatch and Polish Green Network analysed the final drafts of the Regional Operational Programmes of Poland’s voivodeships. The report “Green energy for all” shows how ambitious (or not) the Polish regions are to invest in a low-carbon economy, in particularly when it comes to renewable energy and energy efficiency in residential buildings. It also contains six recommendations for Polish regions to make the most of the low-carbon potential of Regional Funds.

The Visegrad 4 and the Balkans working together for resource efficient development

Study | 24 November, 2014 | Download PDF

In the last four years, Bankwatch has invested significant efforts in building the capacity of CSOs in the Western Balkans on various topics, particularly on the funding mechanism Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA). This compilation is intended to serve CSOs in IPA beneficiary countries and provide information about some good practices from Visegrad 4 coutries that can now be implemented in the Balkan region. It is our hope that it is found useful and worthy of distribution across the region.

Letter to EBRD: National ROads Programme in Macedonia

Advocacy letter | 6 November, 2014 | Download PDF