A flawed rollout: How the EBRD’s efforts to tackle harassment on Tbilisi public transport have fallen short
October 11, 2024
In an effort to tackle gender-based violence and harassment across Tbilisi’s public transport network, the EBRD has provided financial and technical support to Tbilisi Transport Company – the operator responsible for managing public transport services in the city – to help them set up a tracking system to address incidents on the city’s metro and bus routes.
CEE Bankwatch Network comments on the draft of the EBRD Infrastructure Sector Strategy
August 14, 2024
The EBRD’s draft strategy, published in the summer of 2024, shows improvements particularly in terms of good governance, inclusion, safety, affordability, accessibility of municipal and transport infrastructure and services. In our new comments, we argue that more needs to be done to decarbonise and promote circular economy principles and sustainable waste management.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Environmental and social study for Prenj motorway tunnel needs to tackle the elephants in the room
July 2, 2024
The environmental and social impact assessment for the planned Prenj tunnel on the Corridor Vc motorway provides a wealth of details on some issues, but fundamental questions remain, particularly on the Bijela canyon Emerald site near Konjic and the Podgorani area near Mostar.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Motorway-affected residents submit complaint to the UN
June 24, 2024
A group of people whose land and houses are threatened by the EU-funded planned Corridor Vc (1) motorway south of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina have submitted a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Council (2).
Open days on the Corridor Vc Prenj tunnel: a promising new public engagement tool?
June 14, 2024
Last week, JP Autoceste and the EBRD held three open days on the planned Prenj tunnel, part of the 330-kilometre Corridor Vc motorway in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Bankwatch went along to see what this new format offers and how it works in practice.
‘Delivering Impact Together’ … unless things get complicated: EBRD Annual Meeting marked by shrinking civic space
June 6, 2024
The theme of this year’s EBRD Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Yerevan was ‘Delivering Impact Together’. However, discussions were dominated by the pressing issues of shrinking civic space and the exclusion of communities in the EBRD’s countries of operations.
The EBRD’s (ir)responsible exit from the Amulsar gold mine project in Armenia
May 29, 2024
The engagement of the EBRD in supporting the Amulsar gold mine in Armenia in its early stages resulted in adverse environmental, social, economic, and human rights impacts. The EBRD terminated funding to the client and exited the project, but the harm remains unremedied.
Comments on the draft Environmental and Social Policy with a focus on human rights due diligence
May 27, 2024
The EBRD’s safeguards revisions show some progress, but the Bank needs to strengthen its own environmental and social due diligence, particularly in the area of human rights, to prevent human rights abuses through early risk identification and effective mitigation.
Key trends and shortcomings in community engagement on high-risk EBRD projects
May 24, 2024
The EBRD sets out requirements for stakeholder engagement as part of project risk and impact assessments. This study reviews the stakeholder engagement practices of EBRD clients in all 34 high-risk projects disclosed between 2020 and 2024.
Civil society joint statement on the EBRD’s draft safeguards
May 24, 2024
Despite some improvements, the latest drafts of the EBRD’s updated good governance policies fall short of ensuring that human rights are respected and protected, especially in countries with significant democratic deficits. In a joint statement, 60 civil society organisations urge the EBRD to enhance its human rights due diligence.
