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Images and graphs: Large-scale agribusiness in Ukraine and local communities
September 14, 2015

Ukraine's agriculture was the only sector in the country to grow in 2014. International investors like the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development are happy to point this out - and the role they are playing in financing these investments.

But an investigation published today into one of the main beneficiaries of loans from the EBRD and other multilateral development banks shows that cheap Ukrainian food products are coming at the expense of severe impacts on local communities.

EBRD
EIB
World Bank Group
Social & economic impacts
Development
agribusiness, agriculture, agroholding, CEE, EU neighbourhood, local impacts, manure, MHP
[Campaign update] Romanian government support for controversial power plant project to be made public, EBRD loan cancelled
September 9, 2015

Bankwatch’s Romanian chapter has been granted access to environmental information included in a letter sent by Romania's Ministry of Economy in support of a loan from the Euoprean Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to Oltenia Energy Complex (OEC), Bucharest's administrative court ruled yesterday.

The letter will shed light on the nature and extent of the government's support for the project, and whether it was in line with EU regulations.

EBRD
Energy & climate
Balkans, coal, court, EU, Oltenia Energy Complex, state aid, success, transparency, Turceni
Guest post: Behind the glitz of oil riches - the shrinking space for democracy in Azerbaijan
July 29, 2015

Last week, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved a loan over half a billion dollars for Lukoil’s share in the Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan. In this guest post, rights activist Emma Hughes from Platform reflects on how business as usual resumes after the media attention on Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses has faded.

EBRD
Social & economic impacts
Caucasus, gas, human rights, Lukoil, repression, Shah Deniz, Southern Gas Corridor
Azeri regime stifles criticism ahead of European Games. European lender must finally take measures.
June 10, 2015

UPDATE 1 12h CET 12 June 2015

Platform have taken to the streets of London to protest the opening of the European Games. See a video of the action below, and read more in their book published Friday, All that glitters, which explores how the European Games belong to the Aliyev regime and the British oil company BP and how sport is being co-opted in the service of a dynasty and fossil fuels.

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EBRD
Energy & climate
Social & economic impacts
Development
Aliyev, Azerbaijan, Caucasus, development, Emma Hughes, Energy Union, EU neighbourhood, fossil fuels, highlight, human rights, natural gas, Platform London, Rasul Jafarov, Shah Deniz, Southern Gas Corridor
Italian mayor stands up against EU priority gas pipeline
June 8, 2015

Local opposition against the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP) is growing as an Italian mayor made clear in an open letter to the European Commission and European public banks.

EBRD
EIB
Energy & climate
Social & economic impacts
Development
CEE, development, EU, EU neighbourhood, infrastructure, local communities, Melundugno, natural gas, South Italy, Southern Gas Corridor, TAP
Transforming development finance? Europe's multilateral lenders fail on aid transparency
June 4, 2015

The recently published 2015 Aid Transparency Review concludes that the European Union is off track from meeting its aid transparency commitments. Europe’s two multilateral development banks are indicative of the altogether rather disappointing outcome.

EBRD
EIB
Development
accountability, aid, aid effectiveness, development finance, EU neighbourhood, Global South, IATI, Mopani, open data, transparency
Europe's Caspian gas dreams - a nightmare come true for human rights in Azerbaijan
May 14, 2015

As investors and officials are promoting a gas pipeline project from the Caspian Sea to Italy, the systematic repression of human rights in Azerbaijan is hardly on the official agenda. The Aliyev regime’s weakly veiled attempts to muzzle dissent illustrate how even the most repressive governments are acceptable partners for Europe’s pet energy projects.

EBRD
Energy & climate
Social & economic impacts
Development
Caucasus, energy, Energy Union, EU neighbourhood, human rights, Intigam Aliyev, Khadija Ismayilova, Leyla Yunus, natural gas, Rasul Jafarov, repression, Shah Deniz, Southern Gas Corridor
Guest post: Plight of locals at Kumtor mine brought to Centerra Gold's general meeting in Toronto
May 11, 2015

Journalist and researcher Ryskeldi Satke reports on Centerra Gold’s annual general meeting where mining activists presented shareholders with information on human rights violations and the negative environmental and social impacts of the Kumtor Gold mine.

EBRD
Social & economic impacts
Other harmful projects
Development
Mining
Central Asia, glaciers, human rights, MISN, Pascua Lama, pollution, protest, toxics
Ukraine's Other Chernobyls
April 30, 2015

For safety reasons, Europe must help the Ukrainian government retire, not revive, its nuclear reactors. (This commentary originally appeared on Project Syndicate.)

EBRD
Energy & climate
Development
CEE, Chernobyl, consultation, Espoo Convention, EU neighbourhood, highlight, nulcear safety
Discovering Ukraine's Nuclear Shadows
April 27, 2015

- UPDATING STORY - A Bankwatch fact-finding mission is currently in Ukraine to explore the state of nuclear energy in the country, particularly in light of intentions to extend the lifetime of 12 Soviet-era nuclear units.

EBRD
Energy & climate
Development
CEE, Chernobyl, EU neighbourhood, Euratom, lifetime, nuclear safety

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