English
РусскийSuccess story: Here be monsters - the map of EU funding failures that’s being referenced by decision-makers
The map of dubious EU funded projects prepared by Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe has received wide media attention and decision makers have treated a project's inclusion on the map as a serious blemish.
It doesn't have to be this way, but it is. Now in its fourth iteration, the Bankwatch map of dubious, EU funded projects continues to draw attention to how not to deploy billions of euros of EU taxpayers' money in the former communist bloc countries. These countries continue to waste energy on a vast scale and appear determined to copy western European approaches to unsustainable transport systems.
In collaboration with Friends of the Earth Europe, Bankwatch has followed the use and – too often – abuse of the EU funds in central and eastern Europe for more than ten years. Our mapping of the unsustainable trends involved in this multi-billion euro spending has vividly captured a wide array of unnecessary projects being promoted by regions and national governments all across the new EU member states.
Each new launch of the map of projects has been accompanied by wide media interest, both in key Brussels-focused publications as well as in national press across our region.
A Bankwatch EU funds campaigner discovered our map of EU funded projects in the corridors of a European Commission Directorate General
And the map makes an impact among decision-makers too: it has come to our attention that relevant departments within the European Commission have showcased the map on internal websites, and national government officials have let it be known that a project's inclusion on the Bankwatch map is a serious black spot.
If only, then, there could be an end to the badly-conceived projects. EU member states in central and eastern Europe should be prioritising the EU funds for clean and efficient energy, transport and waste projects that can deliver positive effects for the economy, for employment and for our climate.
