Georgia’s East-West Highway construction project, once heralded as a symbol of progress and splendour, has been marred by controversies.
Rail Baltica, the ambitious railway project set to connect the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania as part of Europe’s modern rail network, promises to boost regional development and integration. However, despite assurances of habitat protection and compensation measures during the construction of Rail Baltica, recent revelations on clearcutting in protected areas have exposed longstanding issues with Estonian forests. The case also highlights the broader challenges faced by nature when economic development takes precedence and the need for proper environmental safeguards against economic interests.
In 2014, decentralisation reforms were introduced in Ukraine to increase the country’s resilience, empower local communities, and transfer more decision-making power from the central government to the local level. These measures have significantly helped communities keep their heads above water and respond quickly to the challenges of Russia’s invasion.
As the EU reduces its gas consumption, North Macedonia is planning the opposite. Why is it building a large new import pipeline, why has it failed to consult the public, and why are EU banks supporting it?
Time to put an end to Albania’s fossil fuel déjà vu
December 21, 2023 | Read more
In the last two decades, residents of Vlora, a lively tourist city on the Albanian coast, have had a slew of mostly unsuccessful oil and gas projects foisted on them. No wonder a recent event there called on the government to stop its costly fossil fuel experiments and seize the opportunity to declare Albania’s electricity production and consumption 100 per cent renewable.
The Western Balkans’ energy transition is finally starting to pick up pace. But false solutions such as fossil gas threaten to divert resources and create new fossil-fuel lock-in. So why do the European Union (EU) and United States (US) continue to push such projects in the region and what can be done about it?
