By now regular readers of the Bankwatch blog will know that the energy system in southeast Europe is corrupt, dirty and inefficient. But we now have an opportunity to change it.
The Energy Union must find ways to prevent state support for the production of fossil fuel energy by the European Union’s immediate neighbours. The EU cannot afford to have newly acceding members holding up progress towards the new 2030 climate goals or watering down future policy making.
Clear guidance is needed more than public assurances to make the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) be indeed a vehicle for energy efficiency. Counter to public statements, the current set-up does not promise to be effective.
Building the Energy Union, the European Commission pretends that all is well for renewables in Croatia and unnecessarily fixates on diversifying gas supply instead of managing demand.
To make sure Latvia’s energy path does not lead into a dead end for sustainability, the Energy Union should facilitate alternatives to unsustainable fuelwood.
The Croatian Ministry of Environment and Nature Protection has refused Hrvatska Elektroprovreda (HEP)'s nature impact assessment for the Ombla hydropower project near Dubrovnik.
Hungary needs to transform its energy sector. But can the Energy Union kickstart such change? The vision presented by the European Commission's Vice President Maroš Šefčovič includes a few promising nuggets, but overall risks reinforcing the status quo.
Last week, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved a loan over half a billion dollars for Lukoil’s share in the Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan. In this guest post, rights activist Emma Hughes from Platform reflects on how business as usual resumes after the media attention on Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses has faded.
The European Parliament will soon be voting on a Scoreboard that will help assess candidate projects to the EUR 21 billion European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI). Stringent economic, social and environmental criteria are a paramount need for ensuring investments that contribute to a more sustainable Europe.
English
Русский
