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Ukraine's agriculture was the only sector in the country to grow in 2014. International investors like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development are happy to point this out - and the role they are playing in financing these investments.

But an investigation published today into one of the main beneficiaries of loans from the EBRD and other multilateral development banks shows that cheap Ukrainian food products are coming at the expense of severe impacts on local communities.

Similar to what we have seen in other countries, when it comes to concrete projects in Slovakia the Energy Union proposals are so far to a much larger extent aiming at security of (gas) supply than they are at decarbonisation.

Bankwatch’s Romanian chapter has been granted access to environmental information included in a letter sent by Romania's Ministry of Economy in support of a loan from the Euoprean Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to Oltenia Energy Complex (OEC), Bucharest's administrative court ruled yesterday.

The letter will shed light on the nature and extent of the government's support for the project, and whether it was in line with EU regulations.

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.

More clarity is needed regarding the Energy Union's priorities for the Czech Republic.