Earth’s riches, people’s troubles. Mining in Central Asia
January 31, 2012
Two new reports and two videos on the impacts of mining operations in Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia unearth some of the downsides of the mining business in Central Asia.
European Parliament makes a step towards putting the ‘E’ into EBRD
October 19, 2011
By requesting a number of changes at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Parliament has confirmed at least some of Bankwatch’s criticism of the bank’s mode of operation and (in a subtle way) also its overall approach.
There is a light at the end of the EIB tunnel
October 18, 2011
The European Investment Bank finally invited for a dialogue with civil society organisations. It might be a little ambitious to say that true dialogue happened there, but certainly the NGOs were able to send a couple of strong messages to the EIB Board, and, for a while, it felt like the Board was listening.
A historic event, the European Investment Bank opens its doors (a bit)
October 12, 2011
Ahead of a meeting next week that offers a unique chance for discussion with the EIB’s Board of Directors, Bankwatch’s EIB team leader Anna Roggenbuck gives an overview over some of the issues to which she’d like to hear some comments by the bank’s enigmatic leadership.
In times of crisis – Poland’s take on the Emperor’s New Clothes
September 9, 2011
Poland has made a worrying proposal on public private partnerships that could risk the future stability of European economies by turning a blind eye to future public debt. But the EU would do well to take the British example as an eye opener.
Transparency improvements grind to a halt at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
June 10, 2011
Bankwatch research co-ordinator Pippa Gallop discusses the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s draft public information policy and how the bank has come to a standstill with improving its transparency rules.
Have you voted in the 2010 worst EU lobbying awards yet?
November 5, 2010
ArcelorMittal, one of the candidates for the worst EU lobby award, is the world’s largest private steel company, producing 10 per cent of the world’s steel. It is also one of Europe’s largest emitters of CO2. Yet the company successfully lobbied the European Commission on behalf of Europe’s biggest polluters to continue getting free greenhouse gas emissions permits until at least 2020.
Bankwatch co-production on Kyrgyz gold mine wins at DOK Leipzig while EBRD sights financing for company featured in the film
October 26, 2010
During last weeks internationally-renowned 53rd Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, DOK Leipzig, Bankwatch’s most recent co-production about the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)-financed Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan All that Glitters collected two awards: the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk award for an excellent Eastern European documentary film and the Healthy Workplaces Film Award for the best documentary film about the subject of work.
EIB complaints office confirms shortcomings on Belgrade resettlement
August 4, 2010
After more than three months delay, the Complaints Office of the European Investment Bank recently released its concluding investigations (pdf) into the banks involvement in the resettlement of 175 predominately Roma families from underneath the Gazela bridge in Belgrade.
