Land lost but not forgotten
November 30, 2017
Impacts of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline on the land and livelihoods of farmers in Albania In May 2017, Bankwatch, together with the Albanian Helsinki Committee undertook a mission along the corridor of the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline in Albania to talk to p
Green Climate Fund’s preference for big players weakens transparency
October 31, 2017
The 18th meeting of the Green Climate Fund in the beginning of October confirmed again that big institutions are getting the biggest share of finances. This time it was the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development who left its mark.
Nenskra HPP: the concerns of worried locals fall on deaf ears of project developers
October 12, 2017
In an interview, a teacher from Chuberi in the Svaneti mountains gave us an impression of how the project developers of the planned Nenskra dam engage with locals.
Women and hydropower: exacerbating vulnerability without resettlement
June 19, 2017
The disproportionate impacts that the Nenskra hydropower project in Georgia will have on women are not being assessed by the project company, in spite of its financiers’ standards.
The dirty secret in Sofia’s backyard – the coal dust that only comes at night
May 10, 2017
Brussels may fine Bulgaria for its excessive air pollution. But living in Pernik, the most polluted town in Europe, remains a hazard to peoples’ health as the results of Bankwatch’s independent dust monitoring show.
Principles of effectiveness for the EIB Complaints Mechanism Office – briefing for the directors of the European Investment Bank
January 24, 2017
Images and graphs: Large-scale agribusiness in Ukraine and local communities
September 14, 2015
Ukraine’s agriculture was the only sector in the country to grow in 2014. International investors are happy to point this out – and the role they are playing in financing these investments. Our investigation, however, shows that cheap Ukrainian food products are coming at the expense of severe impacts on local communities.
Battles against cyanide continue in Romania
April 30, 2015
After the epic battle against the Rosia Montana gold mine in Romania ended in success, many people still don’t know that Romania and other countries in the region such as Bulgaria are still threatened by several gold mining proposals, some of which would involve the use of cyanide leaching.
Guest post: Ombla must be protected, not flooded!
April 21, 2015
The project promoter of the Ombla hydropower plant in Dubrovnik, Croatia is still stubbornly pushing the project forward. A presentation yesterday of a new nature impact assessment did not offer answers to a range of outstanding questions, including the project’s economic feasibility, impacts on locals and more.
Citizens of Romanian town protest against EBRD long-term “strategic” client Kronospan
January 23, 2015
Protests against a new Kronospan formaldehyde plant in the Romanian town of Sebes continue into their third week. Their history dates more than ten years back when the company came to modernise the local plant with financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The ongoing demands for breathable air cast a shadow over the EBRD’s promises of sustainable development and transition.
