CEE

Did the glimmer of gold blind the EBRD?

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has become a stakeholder in a company that is involved in gold mining in a UNESCO World Heritage site in Russia. Not only does this violate its own Environmental and Social Policy, but it also tells me a lot about the bank's assessment of partner companies.

Tags: biodiversity corporations extractive industries mining CEE

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Other harmful projects, Mining

R1 Prague motorway, Czech Republic

Prague motorway's ringroad R1 is a crucial part of the Czech Republic's Trans-European Network (TEN-T). However, some of the road sections being planned for construction are failing to fulfil TEN-T project criteria and their cost-effectiveness is highly questionable.

Institution: EU Funds

Theme: Transport

D8 Motorway, Czech Republic

The D8 motorway is part of the Berlin - Prague - Budapest - Sofia - Istanbul European multi-modal transport corridor IV. The controversial history of its construction started fifteen years ago when the Czech government reapproved a motorway scheme that was conceived in 1963.

Institution: EU Funds

Theme: Transport

Vienna-Brno motorway, Austria-Czech Republic

The currently proposed route for the new Brno-Vienna motorway via Mikulov and Drasenhofen, promoted by the Austrian and Czech governments, could become the most expensive and environmentally destructive way to link these two central European cities.

Institution: EIB

Theme: Transport

EBRD can't stay away from Russian motorways - Khimki destruction goes ahead while women and children are being arrested

Yesterday, police in Khimki arrested an activist of the Movement for the Defence of Khimki Forest. The activist Alla Chernyshova and her daughters of 3 and 6 had to spend more than five hours in custody where she was questioned as the main suspect for a false bomb threat.

Tags: human rights Khimki motorways Russia CEE

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Transport

Getting from A to B while cutting out the GHGs - Is some ambitious, climate-real transport lending about to turn up at the EIB?

In the face of official EU statements stressing the need to decarbonise Europe's transport sector, our analysis has found that a rise in EIB lending between 2006 and 2009 for roads and aviation has coincided with a dramatic decrease in EIB lending for urban public transport.

Tags: aviation cars motorways policy public transport CEE EU

Institution: EIB

Theme: Transport

Baseball bat attack hospitalises Khimki Forest activist, latest violence connected with controversial Moscow-St Petersburg motorway plans

November 4, 2010

Environmental and human rights activist Konstantin Fetisov of Khimki near Moscow was today assaulted near his house by unknown assailants wielding a baseball bat and is now in a serious condition in hospital.

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Transport, Social & economic impacts

Tags: CEE

Khimki Forest activist arrested for holding banner during picket action

Russian activist Yaroslav Nikitenko was arrested by police on Saturday during a legally permitted picket action in the town of Khimki near Moscow. The action was part of the campaign to change the route of the planned Moscow-St Petersburg motorway so that it avoids the Khimki Forest.

Tags: activism arrest human rights Khimki protest Russia CEE

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Transport, Social & economic impacts

In Moscow, thousands protest destruction of Khimki Forest

In spite of heavy policing, several thousand people yesterday rallied at a concert in Pushkin Square to voice opposition to the destruction of the Khimki Forest to make way for the EUR 1.5 billion first section of the Moscow - St. Petersburg motorway, a project that may receive financial blessings from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank.

Tags: demonstration Khimki protest Russia CEE

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Transport, Social & economic impacts

Khimki Forest movement leader violently detained in Moscow

August 4, 2010

Yevgenia Chirikova, the leader of the Movement to Defend Khimki Forest, has today been forcibly detained by police in Moscow immediately after a press conference on the persecution of activists opposing the construction of a motorway through the Khimki Forest just outside Moscow. [1]

At the time of writing she has been released after several hours of interrogation, but urged to come to Khimki's police station tomorrow for another round of questioning.

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Transport, Social & economic impacts

Tags: CEE