EU

Friends of the Earth CEPA (Slovakia) and CEE Bankwatch Network applaud today's cancellation [1] of the 9 billion euros public-private partnership (PPP) for the first phase of the D1 motorway in Slovakia and urged the new government to change the project's routing to avoid damaging the Mala Fatra and Velka Fatra National Parks.

Environmental organisations have today criticised Commissioner Janez Potocnik for heeding mining industry lobbyists over a democratically elected European Parliament, in failing to open public discussions and rejecting a resolution to ban the use of cyanide in mining processes throughout the European Union.

On the day that the European Commission launches its vision for 2020, its ‘Europe 2020 strategy’, a new report from CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe lays out how improved targeting of EU structural and cohesion billions for energy efficiency and renewables can get the EU - and particularly the new member states in the east - on track to meet and exceed emissions reduction targets for tackling climate change.

CEE Bankwatch Network today criticised the European Investment Bank (EIB) for adopting a new transparency policy that persists in keeping the final destination of billions of publicly backed money unknown to the public.

An announcement from Dundee Precious Metals that it is freezing plans on its investment at the Chelopech gold and copper mine in central Bulgaria because of ongoing legal challenges has been welcomed by the Cyanide-free Bulgaria coalition.

Today at the Bulgarian parliament's Petitions Committee three public petitions related to controversial mining initiatives were heard, in a process described by 'Cyanide Free Bulgaria' campaigners as encouraging and not before time.