Conditionality mechanisms and the green transition: the case of EU funding for Poland
February 6, 2023
The dispute over the rule of law between Poland’s government and the European Commission culminated in a recent announcement by EU officials to block funds for Poland. The country’s authorities must take the Commission’s reservations seriously and address them immediately. Meanwhile, they must start implementing investments planned in the cohesion policy programmes as soon as possible to better address the challenges posed by the climate and energy crises.
REPowerEU deal is a blow to a more climate-oriented energy policy in central and eastern Europe
December 22, 2022
Six months after the proposal was put forward, a deal was struck by EU negotiators on the financial leg of the REPoweREU plan, the EU’s strategy to cope with the energy crisis and phase Russian fuels out of the market. National governments will be invited to quickly add new chapters to their recovery plans, which is potentially good news and a chance to further invest in the energy transition. However, Member States must avoid falling into the trap of fossil fuels, which are making a comeback in the palette of investments eligible for EU funds.
EU investments: voice of the public must be heard!
June 16, 2022
Member States are currently making important investment decisions to address the multitude of crises we are facing. This money has the potential to transform our economy, yet the challenges to ensure it meets this potential are high. The EU’s unprecedented COVID-19 recovery package should be spent wisely and in a transparent manner. Yet it is for the moment far from open, and it is unlikely this will change any time soon.
On the (long) road to recovery: Poland’s plan greenlit
June 14, 2022
Poland’s recovery plan has finally been endorsed by the Commission after over a year of negotiations. Despite multiple declarations from government officials that talks would finish quickly, the plan worth EUR 35 billion was put on hold for an extended period of time because of the Commission’s concerns about the rule of law in the country. Is Poland’s recovery plan a wasted opportunity? Not necessarily, but it is not a fully-used one, either.
Behind the ‘green recovery’: How the EU recovery fund is failing to protect nature and what can still be saved
June 2, 2022
This report prepared by CEE Bankwatch Network and EuroNatur, shines a spotlight on the implementation of recovery funds, and reveals a series of harmful reforms and investments for biodiversity set to be financed in nine central and eastern European Member States (Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Slovenia).
How to win energy sovereignty and avoid a gas trap in Poland
April 11, 2022
Poland’s energy policy has to change urgently in the face of the war in Ukraine. EU funds must finance Poland’s transformation for energy security and sustainability. There is no return to the business as usual when it comes to energy policy.
Breaking down the ‘do no significant harm’ principle
April 7, 2022
This briefing aims to explain the ‘do no significant harm’ principle and how it has been used in the Recovery and Resilience Facility. It also raises concerns over the long-term risks and implications of applying the ‘do no significant harm’ principle
Applying the ‘do no significant harm’ principle in practice: examples of reforms and investments under national recovery plans that will cause harm to the environment
March 8, 2022
This joint letter, prepared by CEE Bankwatch Network, EuroNatur, WWF and ReCommon, raises concern about the application of the EU’s ‘do no significant harm’ principle under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The letter is accompanied by a seri
Progress with EU recovery fund hampered by fossil fuels investments and threats to nature
February 4, 2022
Genuine efforts by Member States to direct spending from the EUR 672 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility towards climate action are being undermined by investments that are likely to harm the environment and climate, finds a new report by CAN Europe and CEE Bankwatch Network.
Analiza zelenih naložb v okviru načrta za okrevanje in odpornost
February 4, 2022
Najnovejše poročilo organizacij CAN Europe in CEE Bankwatch Network z naslovom »Reaching for a Green Recovery« ugotavlja, da države v 672 …
