Publications

Linked to a slew of controversies, the Kolubara lignite mining project in Serbia is in line for support from European public banks. Corruption allegations, pollution at local level, irregularities in resettlement of local populations and not to forget a climate damaging appr…

The project Boskov Most HPP involves the construction of a 33 m high dam and a hydro power plant with a total capacity of 68MW. It is mostly located in the territory of the Mavrovo National Park, one of the oldest and most valuable protected areas in the country. Since this…

In recent years Georgia’s government has sought to position the country as a future regional renewable energy hub. Governmental plans include the construction of transmission lines and numerous hydropower plants (HPPs), in order to ensure electricity exports to Turkey and su…

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has developed draft methodologies in order to assess project greenhouse gas emissions from its projects. Bankwatch’s comments provide recommendations on how to improve the methodology used in order to support the EU’s climate goals. Our com…

One of Bankwatch’s main concerns with the EBRD’s municipal and environmental infrastructure strategy is the bank’s approach towards public-private partnerships, which one the one hand is more cautious than before. On the other hand however, while the bank’s analysis recognis…

In light of the new proposed Regulation for the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA), Bankwatch has compiled case studies from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia to illustrate the lack of political will to properly implement EU principles on public…

If implemented as currently planned, the road bypass of the town of Gabrovo, and the tunnel under the Shipka mountain – a project supported by EU funding – will harm a Natura 2000 zone and national biodiversity protected area. This briefing paper gives details on the project…

These comments from the Bulgarian Civic Coalition for sustainable use of EU funds identifies problematic issues and discrepancies between transport policy documents at EU and Bulgarian level. It offers concrete suggestions to overcome those problems and to improve the decisi…

Centerra Gold’s announcement that the February 2012 ice and waste fall into the Kumtor pit will result in a cutback in gold production indicates that the measures the company has put in place to address the causes of past pit wall failures have been ineffective since those m…

The rehabilitation of the Kiev-Chop road, financed with the help of EBRD and EIB loans, was part of the preparations for the Euro 2012 championships in Poland and Ukraine. Due to a negligent implementation, the project resulted in local people having to face dangerous, even…

In its letter, the independent union at the Kolubara mine points at extremely difficult and inhumane working conditions and their employer’s reckless attitude toward employees. The union calls on the EBRD to not extend a loan to the Kolubara lignite mine before workers’ righ…

With the letter Bankwatch requests information about the status of the Centerra Gold Revolving Debt Facility and raises issues and findings from the recent reports on the company’s performance.