Publications

Countries of the European Neighbourhood have received a boost to their energy sectors in the last decade, thanks in part to the prominent role played by the EU as a catalyst of both policy reforms and financing. This paper is the executive summary of an upcoming study that e…

In late September, shortly after news of VW’s emissions manipulation broke, CEE Bankwatch Network contacted the European Investment Bank (EIB) with a detailed request to disclose information about its immense support to VW Group. In view of the profound public interest in th…

The dieselgate scandal is symptomatic of a ‘better regulation’ agenda in favour of cutting compliance costs and replacing the role of the public regulator with corporate co- and self-regulation. More than 35 civil society organisations have signed this letter calling for imm…

In spite of positive elements the EBRD’s Draft Strategy for the Promotion of Gender Equality is unclear or appears to lack consistency in some parts. More importantly, the EBRD’s failure to take a rights-based approach to gender equality has resulted in a limited vision of g…

The Tsumeb smelter in Namibia belongs to Dundee Precious Metals, a Canadian company that operates and develops gold, copper and silver mines in Bulgaria, Armenia and Serbia. Investigating complaints about local pollution, Bankwatch member group Za Zemiata (BG) repeatedly req…

These comments on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the Nenskra hydropower plant in Georgia concludes that the quality of the submitted report is extremely poor. The report as well as the public hearings organised during its preparation do not comply with…

This report explains the importance of the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and argues why it must have the strongest objectives and targets as possible for SEE countries.

Following revelations about Volkswagen cheating in emissions tests and about the European Investment Bank’s substantial support for VW – including loans for research and development of cleaner engines, Bankwatch requested information on EIB loans to the car maker. The bank p…

This study shows how the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has failed to enforce several of its basic principles on involuntary resettlement in the Kolubara Mining Basin, one of the largest sources of lignite in Europe, where mining has continued for over fift…

Given Ukraine’s abundant land resources and food production potential, modernisation of agriculture is necessary and industrialisation is inevitable. Yet, an investigation into the Vinnytsia poultry complex shows the negative side effects of large-scale industrialisation of…

The analysis, by Friends of the Earth France and Croatia, Zelena Istra, CEE Bankwatch Network and BankTrack, screens the risks of the 500 megawatt Plomin C coal power plant project proposed for development in the picturesque Istrian peninsula in Croatia, a popular internatio…

The European Investment Bank’s draft Climate Strategy, although it presents a few interesting technical opportunities, does not constitute a fully-fledged strategy: it lacks strong and measurable objectives, relevant action plans and clear implementation timelines to support…