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EBRD blogs

Threat posed by hydro to Mavrovo National Park under the spotlight at Skopje conference
April 15, 2014

On Thursday in Skopje, over 100 people attended the first public conference [mk] regarding the two planned hydropower plants in the Mavrovo National Park, one of the oldest and most valuable protected areas in the country. A petition to save the park that was launched one day earlier has already gathered over 13 000 signatures.

EBRD
Other harmful projects
Balkan lynx, Balkans, biodiversity, Boskov Most, ESP, EU neighbourhood, hyropower, IUCN, Mavrovo national park
Where's Plan B for Kosovo's energy sector?
March 18, 2014

When it comes to Kosovo's energy future, institution after institution has been putting most of its eggs in a 'new lignite' basket while some very reasonable alternative investment options seem to fall by the wayside.

EBRD
World Bank Group
Energy & climate
Balkans, BW Mail, coal, Energy Community, EU neighbourhood, health, KOSID, Kosovo, pollution, World Bank
Georgian Ministry of Energy orders use of force against local protesters who fear landslides from hydro construction
March 14, 2014

Last weekend, the Georgian Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources again left no doubt about where its main interests lie: enforcing the massive exploitation of Georgia’s hydropower potential despite and against people’s concerns and if necessary by use of force.

EBRD
Social & economic impacts
Caucasus, Eloshvili, EU neighbourhood, Georgia, hydropower, landslides, local impacts, protest, risk assessment
In Albania, oil's history casts long shadows over locals
February 21, 2014

The findings of a visit to the EBRD sponsored Patos Marinza oil field in Albania show how local development and investments in resource extraction often do not go hand in hand. The case provides valuable lessons for the revision of the EBRD’s safeguard policies.

EBRD
Social & economic impacts
Other harmful projects
Balkans, environmental damage, EU neighbourhood, extractives, infrastructure, Kallmi, local impacts, oil, Patos Marinza, policy, poverty, safeguards, Vlora
Quantity over quality in EBRD food security initiative - Evidence from pig farms in Ukraine
February 19, 2014

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development praises its own achievements in the agricultural sector. A look at Ukraine, however, reveals how sustainable food provision, local communities and the quality of soil are falling by the wayside with the bank’s focus on big industrial operations.

EBRD
Social & economic impacts
agribusiness, agriculture, Danosha, EBRD, Ivano-Frankvisk, local impacts, manure, pig farming, Ukraine, water pollution
GMOs, water grab and ice cream for the masses - the EBRD gets involved with Nestlé Egypt
February 13, 2014

Update: The EBRD clarified in its correspondence with Baby Milk Action that its loan will not be used to finance infant nutrition.

EBRD
Social & economic impacts
baby milk, boycott, Egypt, EU neighbourhood, GMO, Nestle, Southern Mediterranean, water, water privatisation
Georgian hydro projects are a test case for the EBRD's good governance policies
February 12, 2014

As activists pointed out at a consultation meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia's hydropower sector has plenty of lessons to be learned by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

EBRD
Social & economic impacts
Other harmful projects
accountability, biodiversity, Caucasus, dams, EU neighbourhood, Georgia, hydropower, policy, protest, public action, transparency
Ukraine and the EBRD: More than technicalities derail the fight against corruption
February 6, 2014

Before claiming the moral high ground on fighting corruption in Ukraine, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development should first of all brush up its own transparency policy and drop old-fashioned arguments in favour of confidentiality and secret conditionalities in its projects.

EBRD
Social & economic impacts
accountability, CEE, confidentiality, corruption, electricity tariffs, EU neighbourhood, nuclear, participation, public interest, transparency, Ukraine, Yanukovich
[Campaign update*] Georgian government and investors reject Ombudsman's offer to mediate in controversy over Khudoni mega dam
February 6, 2014

The growing antagonism between promoters of the Khudoni hydropower plant project in Georgia and their local opponents from Kaishi is unlikely to ease when the investor and the Georgian Ministry of Energy boycott mediation by Georgia’s Ombudsman.

EBRD
World Bank Group
Social & economic impacts
Other harmful projects
Caucasus, dams, energy, EU neighbourhood, hydropower, Kaishi, Khudoni, local communities, local impacts, Ombudsman, protest, Svaneti, Svans
New EBRD policy too weak on tax havens in development finance
February 3, 2014

Debt and finance watchdog Eurodad has analysed the EBRD's new policy on domiciliation and explains how it does not take the bold steps needed to tackle the use of tax havens in development finance.

EBRD
Social & economic impacts
capital flight, EBRD, financial sector, policy, secrecy, tax havens

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