Green group urges EU to create nature restoration funding mechanism in freshwater biodiversity push
March 23, 2023
The EU needs a dedicated funding mechanism to help member states prepare and implement their national restoration plans on nature and lead …
Activists call on EU to better protect nature from energy infrastructure in the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova
March 14, 2023
60 civil society organisations have sent a joint letter to the EU Commissioner for Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius, calling on the EU to better protect nature during energy infrastructure development under the Energy Community Treaty (1).
Successful renewables acceleration needs more public participation, not less
February 27, 2023
In December 2022, the Council of the European Union adopted an emergency regulation aimed at speeding up renewable energy deployment. But Member States have to uphold environmental safeguards and consult the public if they don’t want to end up doing the opposite, warns our new position paper.
Position paper for EU Member States on applying Council Regulation (EU) 2022/2577 to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy
February 27, 2023
Council Regulation (EU) 2022/2577 of 22 December 2022 rightly aims to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy. But although it contains some useful provisions, it raises serious concerns about the legal basis used for its adoption, the extent to
Western Balkans: scientists and NGO representatives call for more rivers to be protected as part of the Emerald Network
February 13, 2023
Today, scientists and non-governmental organisations from 11 countries have published a list of 88 rivers they consider high priority for protection, urging Western Balkan countries that have signed the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention) to expand the Emerald Network in the region.
La protezione della natura, parente povero del piano di ripresa europeo
February 10, 2023
Con il Recovery Plan europeo, una quantita’ di denaro senza precedenti e’ in arrivo agli stati membri dell’Ue. Il problema? I fondi per la …
Bottlenecks hamper access to EU funds for biodiversity in Eastern nations -report
February 7, 2023
Although the EU biodiversity strategy recognises the importance of funding in addressing the biodiversity crisis, a number of significant …
A false start for wind energy in Uzbekistan?
December 1, 2022
This report analyses the current environmental assessments for four wind projects planned to be built in Uzbekistan and adds new evidence from visits to the sites, meetings with the companies and local communities, and expert advise from environmental organisations.
Romanian decision-makers try to misuse REPowerEU funds for illegal hydropower plants
November 30, 2022
This briefing describes how Romania’s Parliament and Government are again pushing to legalise illegal hydropower projects in protected areas using new opportunities for funding under the REPowerEU chapter of the EU recovery fund. It shows how a new dra
Renewables automatically of ‘overriding public interest’ – a counterproductive attack on EU nature legislation
November 14, 2022
This briefing analyses the Commission’s proposal to declare renewables as automatically being of ‘overriding public interest’ in the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive under the REPowerEU legislative proposal. New rules would seriously undermin
