CEE

European banks slammed for backing coal industry

November 14, 2013

Source: Probir K Sarker, Dhaka Tribune

'Banking on Coal – Undermining our Climate' will be released on Friday during the UN Climate Summit at Warsaw

Two Polish private banks – Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego and PKO Bank Polski – have been identified to be on the dirty list of banks that are heating up the globe, damaging the environment and hurting local communities, a new report says.

Institution: EIB

Theme: Energy & climate

Tags: banks, coal, CEE, EU

Funny business as usual in the Czech Republic - one of the biggest fines in EU funds history handed out to Prague metro project

The manipulation of a tender for a metro line extension in Prague - financially supported via EU funds and the European Investment Bank (EIB) has not only resulted in a huge EU funds fine, but also raises questions about the EIB's ability to identify and avoid mismanagement in the infrastructure projects it finances.

Tags: Cohesion Policy corruption EIB EU funds metro Prague transparency CEE EU

Institution: EU Funds, EIB

Theme: Transport, Social & economic impacts

Enel drops coal power plant project in Romania

Bankwatch Mail | November 11, 2013

After a five year planning and permitting process, and citing economic reasons, Italian energy giant Enel announced last month that it will not now be moving forward with a coal-fired power plant project in Romania. The company had been working on the project – a proposed 800 MW facility to have been sited in Galati, at an estimated cost of EUR 1 billion – since before the outbreak of the economic crisis, since when progress has been slow.

Theme: Energy & climate

"Job creation, reduced energy bills, cleaner environment … hmmm" - eastern member states failing to grasp EU Budget's green potential

Bankwatch Mail | November 11, 2013

With only a few weeks to go until the end of the year, and the official start of the new EU budgetary period for 2014-2020 that will see billions of euros flow into central and eastern Europe (CEE), national governments are racing to finalise their EU spending allocations for the forthcoming seven-year period. But, according to new analysis and a data visualisation put together by Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe, CEE member states look set to pass up the opportunity to devote adequate funds for green projects and initiatives.

Institution: EU Funds

Theme: Energy & climate, Transport, Resource efficiency

Cough4Coal: New campaign video sets the scene for climate negotiations in Poland

A promotional video for an upcoming climate protest in Warsaw draws attention to the negative influence that coal has on our health and that coal businesses will have on the global climate negotiations.

Tags: climate action coal COP19 corporate influence health Ministerstwo Gospodarki Poland Polish Government Polska protest Warsaw CEE EU Global South

Theme: Energy & climate

How embarrassing: EBRD transparency ranked 'poorest' among multilaterals

As the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development revises its safeguard policies, the Aid Transparency Index ranks its commitment to openness and transparency as the weakest in comparison with similar institutions.

Tags: aid transparency index charts data information participation policy transparency Balkans Baltics Caucasus CEE Central Asia EU neighbourhood Southern Mediterranean

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Guest post: EBRD financed Ukrainian agribusiness causes local insecurities

Environmental groups in Ukraine have highlighted the negative local impacts of one of the biggest agribusinesses in the country, MHP, that is in line to receive additional credit by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Tags: agribusiness agriculture farming local impacts manure pollution poultry Ukraine water CEE EU neighbourhood

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Social & economic impacts, Other harmful projects

EU Funds to the rescue in Krakow - Local campaign leading the way for Polish communities sick of (and sick from) coal

The likely allocation of EU funds is set to bring about a breakthrough success for a popular and dearly needed campaign for better air quality in Krakow, Poland.

Tags: campaign coal EU budget EU funds health Krakow Poland smog success CEE EU

NGOs welcome enquiry by Paris prosecutor into financial crimes related to the VINCI CONCESSIONS RUSSIE SA Moscow-St. Petersburg motorway

October 4, 2013

Paris, 3 October 2013 - Todays announcement by the Paris Prosecutor to open a preliminary enquiry into financial crimes related to the construction of a motorway between Moscow and St. Petersburg [1] has been welcomed by NGOs Sherpa, Russie-Libertés, CEE Bankwatch Network, MOBO Princip, and members of Russian civil society, who lodged the complaint in June 2013.

Theme: Transport, Social & economic impacts

Tags: corruption, Khimki, Vinci, CEE, EU neighbourhood

Leading green NGOs in Europe tell the EBRD to step out of coal

September 30, 2013

Brussels – As the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development today closes the public consultation period on its upcoming energy strategy, a coalition of the ten largest environmental organisations working at the European level, the Green 10, is calling on the bank to phase out fossil fuels from its future lending, beginning with coal, and to rule out lending to risky energy sources, such as nuclear and shale gas.

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Energy & climate

Tags: EBRD, energypolicy, Balkans, Baltics, Caucasus, CEE, Central Asia, EU neighbourhood, Southern Mediterranean