Balkans

Letter to EBRD: Kosovo strategy procedural concerns

Advocacy letter | April 15, 2013

The EBRD draft strategy for Kosovo is currently under public consultation until April 18. While Bankwatch will also publish comments on the content of the strategy, this letter brings important procedural matters to the EBRD's attention which, if not improved, will seriously impact the quality of the country strategy.

Institution: EBRD

Kosova e Re lignite power plant, Kosovo

Kosovo currently wastes much of the electricity it produces in its two filthy lignite plants: In 2015, 33 percent was lost through technical losses and theft, and much more is wasted through lack of energy efficiency measures. Yet the Kosovo government, heavily backed by the US government and World Bank, plans to build a new 500 MW lignite plant, Kosova e Re or New Kosovo, also sometimes known as Kosovo C.

Institution: World Bank Group

Theme: Energy & climate

NGOs to EIB and EBRD: Mistakes like Šoštanj must not happen again

March 27, 2013

Source: Tanja Srnovrsnik, Energetika

Yesterday, 20 March, Focus Slovenia, CEE Bankwatch Network and 96 other NGOs sent a letter to the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), calling on them to never commit to such a misguided loan as they had with Slovenian lignite plant Šoštanj 6.

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Energy & climate

Tags: coal, energypolicy, Balkans, CEE, EU, EU neighbourhood

Guest post: Never again Sostanj

Disappointed by loan disbursements to one of the dirtiest coal projects in Europe, almost 100 organisations have called on two public lenders to not repeat the same mistakes, ever.

Tags: climate coal corruption EBRD EIB energypolicy fossil fuels lignite protest TES6 Balkans EU EU neighbourhood

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Energy & climate

Never again Sostanj, NGOs warn European public banks after Slovenia debacle

March 20, 2013

After the EIB and the EBRD disbursed a promised 650 million euros for Slovenian lignite plant TES 6 on March 8, Focus Slovenia, CEE Bankwatch Network, and 96 other NGOs are today sending a letter to the two banks calling on them to never commit to such a misguided loan again.

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Energy & climate

Tags: coal, corruption, energypolicy, fossil fuels, protest, TES6, Balkans, EU, EU neighbourhood

[Campaign update] Woes in Kosovo's energy sector trigger demand for Minister's removal

Amid increasing public outcry over electricity prices and the privatisation of the KEDS distribution company, KOSID, an industrious NGO coalition from Kosovo has called for the dismissal of Besim Beqaj, the country's Minster for Economic Development.

Tags: coal EBRD energy energypolicy KOSID Kosovo Kosovo Re lignite update Balkans EU neighbourhood

Institution: EBRD, World Bank Group

Theme: Energy & climate

The Western Balkans: EBRD's public money to finance coal plants that threaten EU's long-term climate targets?

Briefing | March 18, 2013

The Western Balkans countries are aspiring to become members of the European Union. At the same time, 6195 MW of new coal and lignite plants are planned to be built in the Western Balkans, which will still be operating by 2050 and threaten these countries' ability to comply with EU long-term decarbonisation objectives. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is planning to support some of these power plants via its loans.

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Energy & climate

The EBRD, KfW, coal and corruption: European money in the Kolubara mine in Serbia

Briefing | March 12, 2013

Linked to a slew of controversies, the Kolubara lignite mining project in Serbia is in line for support from European public banks. Corruption allegations, pollution at local level, irregularities in resettlement of local populations and not to forget a climate damaging approach to energy investments should be reason enough to find alternative options.

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts

Europe's public banks disburse EUR 650 million to Sostanj coal plant despite ongoing corruption charges

March 8, 2013

Ljubljana – The European Investment Bank announced today [1] that it would pay the remaining EUR 440 million out of a EUR 550 million loan [2] for the construction of a new 600 megawatt lignite unit at Sostanj [3] in Slovenia, and that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development would follow suite with its parallel EUR 100 million loan.

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Energy & climate

Tags: coal, energypolicy, fossil fuels, Balkans, EU

Coal power plants make you sick

A new report calculates the effects of coal-fired power generation across Europe on chronic lung disease and some heart conditions and the associated costs. It is another clue for both the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank to end support for coal as the two revise their energy policies.

Tags: climate coal costs disease energy energypolicy fossil fuels health local impacts Balkans EU