Letter: NGOs call on Director Generals of DG Regio, Clima and Environment to turn around EU funds programming at half time
December 11, 2013
At the present stage, the Partnership Agreements and the Operational Programmes for the next Cohesion Policy period (2014-2020) are not proving to be sufficient for effectively catalysing the EU’s transition towards resource efficient, renewable energy based economies. In this letter to the Director Generals for Regional Policy, Environment and Climate Change, European environmental NGOs raise their worries over the Programming of EU Funds in EU Member States. The main concern is that environmental priorities are not being properly addressed.
Get your EU funds house in order – Hungarian group takes climate and jobs appeal direct to government’s doorstep
December 6, 2013
With only a few weeks to go now until final crucial decisions are taken that will determine Hungary’s EU spending plans for the next seven years, Bankwatch’s Hungarian member group MTVSZ decided last week that it was about time the Hungarian government got its house in order when it comes to beneficial EU allocations for cutting domestic energy bills, stimulating the Hungarian economy and fighting climate change.
Funny business as usual in the Czech Republic – one of the biggest fines in EU funds history handed out to Prague metro project
November 13, 2013
The manipulation of a tender for a metro line extension in Prague – financially supported via EU funds and the European Investment Bank (EIB) has not only resulted in a huge EU funds fine, but also raises questions about the EIB’s ability to identify and avoid mismanagement in the infrastructure projects it finances.
“Job creation, reduced energy bills, cleaner environment … hmmm” – eastern member states failing to grasp EU Budget’s green potential
November 11, 2013
With only a few weeks to go until the end of the year, and the official start of the new EU budgetary period for 2014-2020 that will see billions of euros flow into central and eastern Europe (CEE), national governments are racing to finalise their EU spending allocations for the forthcoming seven-year period. But, according to new analysis and a data visualisation put together by Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe, CEE member states look set to pass up the opportunity to devote adequate funds for green projects and initiatives.
Same old, same old – No signs yet that Bulgaria is getting real about how to spend its future EU budget money
October 31, 2013
With less than three months to go until the 2014-2020 EU budgetary period gets underway, a Bulgarian Partnership Agreement is being discussed with the European Commission – but the less said about it the better. In the spirit, though, of a country where a shake of the head means ‘Yes’, we have chosen to spill the beans at some length on where familiar mistakes are being taken, and where they may lead.
EU Funds to the rescue in Krakow – Local campaign leading the way for Polish communities sick of (and sick from) coal
October 21, 2013
The likely allocation of EU funds is set to bring about a breakthrough success for a popular and dearly needed campaign for better air quality in Krakow, Poland.
Charts: Financial allocations for Cohesion Policy
August 29, 2013
Cohesion Policy decisions are heating up at national level while financial allocations for the period 2014-2020 have been published this week.
All at SEA – key assessment of EU funds programmes in Latvia fails to address environmental concerns, opportunities
August 15, 2013
There is a big long list of technical jargon attached to the programming documents of the EU funds for the 2014-2020 funding period – enough to fill an entire blog post on its own. But you will be relieved to read that, in the context of Latvia’s ongoing negotiations as to how we will spend our future EU budget money, I will focus on only one of these items. It may be a bit of a mouthful, but it is what it says it is – only in Latvia, as environmental NGOs are discovering, what should be a safeguard for the environment appears to have gone missing.
Democratising Cohesion Policy – Slovakia not ready to put EU funds spending in citizens’ hands
July 10, 2013
With today’s approval of the watered down proposals to reform EU Structural Funds in the European Parliament’s committee for regional development (see our press release), EU decision makers have taken a step away from ambitious environmental spending in the future Cohesion Policy. At the same time also national level allocation of the 2014-2020 funds is starting to take shape. But efforts to get the funds working sustainably for, and on behalf of, needy local communities are being thwarted in Slovakia – for a range of all too familiar reasons.
Is the Latvian success story over? Good public participation practices in EU funds planning in Latvia turns sour
July 8, 2013
So far the planning for Latvia’s use of the EU funds for the 2014-2020 period has been a reasonably positive experience from a partnership perspective. Yet the process that has, until recently, been notable for its transparency and high level of public participation is now in danger of being derailed.
