EU

Guest post: Ombla must be protected, not flooded!

The project promoter of the Ombla hydropower plant in Dubrovnik, Croatia is still stubbornly pushing the project forward. A presentation yesterday of a new nature impact assessment did not offer answers to a range of outstanding questions, including the project's economic feasibility, impacts on locals and more.

Tags: biodiversity economics hydropower local impacts Ombla protest Balkans EU

Theme: Other harmful projects, Development

"Fight tax havens, start with the European Investment Bank", argues new report

April 21, 2015

Counter Balance & Re:Common press release

The European Investment Bank (EIB) was the first Development Financial Institution (DFI) to adopt a tax haven policy in 2009. However, more than five years on EIB money still runs via tax havens. A new report by Counter Balance and Re:Common* ‘Towards a Responsible Taxation Policy for the EIB’ which is launched today calls on the EU’s public bank to grasp the political momentum at EU level to prevent any public money from flowing through tax havens. Country by country reporting, identification of beneficial ownership and a workable list of non-compliant jurisdictions would be key ingredients of a real “Responsible Taxation Policy”.

Institution: EIB

Theme: Social & economic impacts, Development

Tags: tax havens, EU, Global South

Parliament presses for more scrutiny of EU Investment Plan but guts green prospects

April 20, 2015

BRUSSELS - MEPs ditch ring fencing for energy savings but demand more democratic oversight over the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) that has been setup to implement Commission President Juncker’s economic recovery plan.

Institution: EIB

Theme: Energy & climate, Transport, Resource efficiency, Development

Tags: EFSI, EU

Statement on the European Parliament ITRE Committee vote

April 15, 2015

CEE Bankwatch Network, Friends of the Earth Europe and Counter Balance welcome yesterday’s vote to earmark EUR 5 billion for energy savings projects across Europe by the Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE). The funds were allocated via an amendment to the European Fund for Strategic Investment regulation proposed by Commission president Juncker in December 2014. The vote also requires that any energy infrastructure project financed from the EUR 315 billion investment plan be in line with Europe’s long term energy and climate targets for 2050.

Institution: EU Funds

Theme: Energy & climate, Development

Tags: EFSI, EU

Letter to European Commission: Request for information on EIB's involvement in the Transadriatic Pipeline (TAP)

Advocacy letter | April 9, 2015

Given the size of the Southern Gas Corridor project it is important that its effects on the environment and especially nearby Natura 2000 sites are duely accessed and that the necessary time to conduct public consultation both in the EU-28 countries and outside of the EU-28 as indicated to the Commission during various meetings related to the second list of PCIs preparation.

Institution: EIB

Theme: Energy & climate, Development

94 percent against new coal power plant in Croatian local referendum

March 30, 2015

Labin, Croatia – 94 percent of voters have today rejected the proposed new 500 MW Plomin C coal power plant [1] in a local referendum in Croatia. Residents of five districts of Istria County answered a resounding 'No' to the question "Are you in favour of building the Plomin C power plant to run on coal?"

Theme: Energy & climate, Development

Tags: coal, Plomin, Balkans, EU

Local initiatives champion sustainability and resilience in central and eastern Europe

A new website with inspiring stories of local sustainable initiatives shows the very real change that small-scale projects can make for local communities.

Tags: citizeneconomy communities local economy CEE EU

Institution: EU Funds

Theme: Energy & climate, Transport, Resource efficiency, Social & economic impacts

Bankwatch statement on today's EU Council decision about the 'Energy Union'

March 19, 2015

Europe's leaders have failed today to live up to their commitments and make the EU's energy future more sustainable. The Commission's 'Energy Union' strategy endorsed today by EU Heads of States prioritises new fossil fuel infrastructure at the expense of investments into energy savings and clean energy sources.

Theme: Energy & climate, Transport, Resource efficiency, Social & economic impacts, Development

Tags: Energy Union, EU

European Parliament intergroup ITCO condemns new transparency policy of the European Investment Bank

The European Investment Bank's slide towards secrecy, manifest in its newly adopted transparency policy, has been lambasted by the intergroup of the European Parliament responsible for transparency and corruption.

Tags: accountability EFSI maladministration public oversight secrecy transparency EU Global South

Institution: EIB

Theme: Development

Victories piling up: 130 more hectares of forest saved from lignite mining in Romania

March 12, 2015

Bucharest - A Romanian court has accepted a petition filed by Bankwatch Romania and Greenpeace Romania, and cancelled the environmental permit which allowed cutting down 130 hectares of forests - equivalent to approximately 260 football pitches - to make way for the expansion of the Pinoasa lignite open pit.

Theme: Energy & climate, Other harmful projects

Tags: coal, deforestation, lignite, mining, Romania, success, Timiseni, Balkans, EU