Whether in Europe or beyond, public money must not become an auxiliary for human rights violations or the marginalisation of affected communities.
We expose cases where development banks fail to protect those impacted by their projects.
We advocate for participation and consultation processes that are not pro-forma exercises, but a tool to ensure people’s well-being.
Close to frontline communities
We’re in direct contact with affected communities and provide updates from their struggles.
Image (c) Rosa Vroom
Where rights are on the line
Boskov most hydropower plant, North Macedonia
Boskov Most was one of 18 hydropower greenfield projects planned by the North Macedonian government in the Mavrovo National Park. After five years of campaigning, we convinced the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development about the folly of this project and to cancel its EUR 65 million loan. Without its major source of funding, the project lost steam and was discontinued.
Kresna gorge / Struma motorway, Bulgaria
The Struma motorway is tragically emblematic of an EU-funded project that has wrought havoc on European biodiversity and the wishes of local communities. In spite of two decades of protest by civil society and citizens, part of the Struma motorway section is planned directly through the Kresna gorge, a Natura 2000 site and Bulgaria’s richest biodiversity hotspot.
Krapska Reka small hydropower plant, Macedonia
Loopholes in the EBRD’s due diligence, together with a lack of assessment and monitoring by Macedonia’s local and central government, has proven to be a lethal combination for the country’s rivers. A prime example is the Krapska Reka small hydropower project. The authorities’ failure to recognise the location as part of the proposed Jakupica National Park, Emerald area and a future Natura 2000 site, on top of poor mitigation measures and construction practices, have caused irreversible damage to this small river valley.
Latest news
Living on the edge: waste collection at Mongolia’s landfill rehabilitation project
Blog entry | 16 October, 2019Ulaanbaatar is growing, fast. The Mongolian capital has added several hundred thousand people in recent years, many of whom are abandoning the countryside and traditional forms of subsistence herding to pursue opportunities in the city. But the rush to the city is placing pressure on infrastructure like housing, transportation and other essential services.
Read moreNGOs challenge decision to approve Belgrade incinerator operating subsidies
Blog entry | 15 October, 2019The Ne Davimo Beograd initiative has this week challenged a decision by the Ministry of Mining and Energy to grant feed-in tariffs to Beo Čista Energija d.o.o. for the planned Vinča waste incinerator in Serbia, to be financed by the EBRD, IFC and Austrian development bank OeEB.
Read moreEuropean Commission criticises the EIB’s role as a development bank
Blog entry | 11 October, 2019The European Commission recently published an evaluation of EIB development operations under its External Lending Mandate during the period 2014-2018. The Commission’s findings confirm our previous assessments and repeated calls for improvements in the fields of transparency, human rights due diligence and development impacts of EIB projects.
Read moreRelated publications
Western Balkans hydropower: who pays, who profits?
Study | 25 September, 2019 | Download PDFIn the last decade, a wave of hydropower construction in the Western Balkans has caused ever-increasing public outcry. Large hydropower projects have long caused public resistance, but the mushrooming of smaller plants of less than 10 megawatts (MW) in
Complaint to the European Ombudsman regarding the EIB’s non-disclosure of information
Briefing | 14 May, 2019 | Download PDFThis complaint is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the EIB with theEuropean Ombudsman allowing the complainants who are not satisfied with the outcome of the procedure before the European Investment Bank-Complaints Mechanism (EIB-CM)
Nenskra hydropower project: May 2019 update
Briefing | 14 May, 2019 | Download PDFGiven the complexity of the Nenskra project and its immense impact on indigenous Svan communities and the country’s fiscal stability, the EBRD should take responsibility and not provide financial support until the project is properly assessed. Read mor
