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European Parliament criticises Serbia's lack of progress on renewables
February 4, 2014
 | by Nikola Perusic

Facing criticism by the European Parliament of its progress on climate friendly energy sources, the Serbian government tells Bankwatch's member group that the future of the country's energy system is none of their business.

CEKOR, climate action, coal, energy, EU membership, European Parliament, lignite, participation, renewables, Serbia
Energy & climate
New EBRD policy too weak on tax havens in development finance
February 3, 2014
 | by Jan van den Poel

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.

capital flight, EBRD, financial sector, policy, secrecy, tax havens
EBRD
Social & economic impacts
Charts: The two worlds of EIB climate action
February 3, 2014
 | by Sven Haertig-Tokarz

Our analysis of the latest available lending figures from the European Investment Bank show a striking imbalance between what was invested towards climate adaptation and mitigation in old and new EU Member States.

EIB
Energy & climate
Guest post: A Balkan lesson for coal investors
January 28, 2014
 | by Justin Guay

When Dr. Kim, President of the World Bank, and leaders of other international financial institutions ponder funding new coal power projects this year - like the one in Kosovo - there's one word that should be seared into their memories: Sostanj.

coal, corruption, costs, economics, Kosovo, Sostanj, stranded assets, TES6
EBRD, EIB, World Bank Group
Energy & climate
Trains, planes and citizens' mobility - Axeing of Polish airport plan brings calls for improved train connections via EU funds
January 22, 2014
 | by Przemek Kalinka

As countries around Europe strive in the first weeks of the year to conclude spending plans that will guide how they deploy billions of EU funds for the 2014-2020 budgetary period, last week saw a welcome move in Poland with the shelving of a controversial airport proposal that had been in line for EU support.

airports, Cohesion Policy, EU funds, EU regions, MFF, Poland, programming, rail, transport
EU Funds
Transport
[Campaign update*] New legal complaint on Plomin C
January 17, 2014
 | by Pippa Gallop

Zelena akcija/Friends of the Earth Croatia has submitted a complaint to the Croatian Constitutional Court as part of its ongoing campaign to prevent the construction of the Plomin C power plant, which would be run on imported coal.

coal, complaint, Plomin, Zelena Akcija
Energy & climate
Is Egypt just stuck in transition or heading away from democracy? Considerations for the EBRD
January 10, 2014
 | by Kuba Gogolewski

Six months after the Egyptian army deposed Egypt's first freely elected president, the weak democratic signals by the authorities are overshadowed by widespread repression. How can the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development possibly help under these circumstances? Or put differently: Will the limited benefits to the country's private sector from EBRD engagement really be enough to outweigh the harm done by the bank's support for an undemocratic regime?

Egypt, human rights, military, privatisation, repression, transition
EBRD
Social & economic impacts
Litmus test for EBRD rhetoric on democracy with Egyptian oil project
December 19, 2013
 | by Kuba Gogolewski

On December 18 the EBRD board of directors approved a loan of USD 50 million to finance a project aimed at the expansion of oil operations and reducing gas flaring in Egypt. Yet the tenuous political situation in the country continues to raise concerns about the bank’s ability to make a positive contribution towards the democratic process, and whether it should be investing there at all.

Arab spring, democracy, EBRD, Egypt, human rights, MENA, Morsi, oil
EBRD
Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts
Sounding out the EBRD's energy strategy: little ambition besides scrapping coal
December 13, 2013
 | by Ionut Apostol

At a closer look the EBRD's new energy strategy, complimented for the restrictions it places on coal lending, reveals a shocking lack of operational knowledge to implement the ambitions outlined in its executive summary.

#coalfreeEBRD, coal, energy, energypolicy
EBRD
Energy & climate
Get your EU funds house in order - Hungarian group takes climate and jobs appeal direct to government's doorstep
December 6, 2013
 | by Akos Eger

With only a few weeks to go now until final crucial decisions are taken that will determine Hungary's EU spending plans for the next seven years, Bankwatch's Hungarian member group MTVSZ decided last week that it was about time the Hungarian government got its house in order when it comes to beneficial EU allocations for cutting domestic energy bills, stimulating the Hungarian economy and fighting climate change.

Cohesion Policy, energy efficiency, EU funds, Hungary, MTVSZ, programming, public action
EU Funds
Energy & climate, Resource efficiency

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