[Campaign update] Romanian government support for controversial power plant project to be made public, EBRD loan cancelled
September 9, 2015
Bankwatch’s Romanian chapter has been granted access to environmental information included in a letter sent by Romania’s Ministry of Economy in support of a loan from the Euoprean Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to Oltenia Energy Complex (OEC), Bucharest’s administrative court ruled yesterday. The letter will shed light on the nature and extent of the government’s support for the project, and whether it was in line with EU regulations.
[Campaign update] Petition to clean up southeast Europe’s energy system
September 7, 2015
By now regular readers of the Bankwatch blog will know that the energy system in southeast Europe is corrupt, dirty and inefficient. But we now have an opportunity to change it.
Dirty fuel, dirty money
September 1, 2015
Despite their pledges to fight climate change, banks are still investing in fossil fuel extraction Imagine the scenario. You are a committed eco-warrior. You save water, turn off your lights, cycle or use public transport whenever possible; you boycott companies and products that harm the environment; you’ve even cut down drastically on meat and dairy products, all to do your bit for the planet. Then one day you discover that, against your knowledge, you are directly funding climate change. How on earth could that be, you might be forgiven for asking?
The Western Balkans and the Energy Union: Will the EU address carbon lock-in beyond its borders?
August 27, 2015
The Energy Union must find ways to prevent state support for the production of fossil fuel energy by the European Union’s immediate neighbours. The EU cannot afford to have newly acceding members holding up progress towards the new 2030 climate goals or watering down future policy making.
Resavica: Serbia’s canary in the coal mine
July 13, 2015
After decades of powering Serbia it seems the coal business in the country is on life support. Yet policymakers in Belgrade refuse to consider alternative sources of energy.
The Balkans Are Giving Climate Change the Finger
July 7, 2015
After just five hours visiting the tiny Serbian village of Vreoci, just outside the country’s capital, environmental activist Dragana Mileusnic developed a terrible cough. Vreoci is pincered between two rapidly expanding arms of the Kolubara coal mine, one of the largest in Europe, which churns out 22 million tons of coal per year — along with what Mileusnic calls “incredible” air pollution. Now the mine owner is resettling the entire village because coal dust, smog and respiratory disease have made life there unbearable.
Romanian environmental inspectorate orders closure of two coal plants operating outside EU pollution laws
June 30, 2015
Last week the Environmental Inspectorate in Hunedoara, Romania demanded the closure of two thermal power plants at Mintia and Paroşeni, because neither of the units complies with air quality requirements of the EU’s Large Combustion Plants Directive (LCPD). Hunedoara Energy Complex, which manages the Mintia and Paroşeni plants, has challenged the decision in court.
After Slovenia’s Sostanj coal power plant debacle, is any bank going to finance Croatia’s Plomin C?
June 12, 2015
Slovenia’s newly built Sostanj 6 is expected to generate losses of around EUR 200 million over the next 3-4 years. Given that Croatia’s Plomin C project shares some of Sostanj 6’s features could Croatia be about to repeat its neighbour’s mistakes?
Illegal coal subsidies could cost south-east European countries dearly, warns new study
June 8, 2015
Prague – New investments in coal mines and power plants could cost the Western Balkans and Ukraine dearly if they fail to take into account binding rules on subsidies (State aid), according to a new briefing released today by CEE Bankwatch Network.
Risks for coal and electricity investments in the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova due to state-aid rules
June 8, 2015
By signing the Energy Community Treaty in 2005, countries in the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova agreed that the European Union’s competition rules are to be applied also within their territory. A number of energy sector investments are being planned that may not so far have taken adequate account of State aid rules. This briefing therefore provides a summary to draw attention to relevant requirements of EU law and highlight the risks of failure to take them into account when planning investments. The account when planning investments.
