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All at SEA - key assessment of EU funds programmes in Latvia fails to address environmental concerns, opportunities
August 15, 2013
 | by Alda Ozola

There is a big long list of technical jargon attached to the programming documents of the EU funds for the 2014-2020 funding period – enough to fill an entire blog post on its own. But you will be relieved to read that, in the context of Latvia’s ongoing negotiations as to how we will spend our future EU budget money, I will focus on only one of these items. It may be a bit of a mouthful, but it is what it says it is – only in Latvia, as environmental NGOs are discovering, what should be a safeguard for the environment appears to have gone missing.

environment, EU funds, Latvia, programming, SEA
EU Funds
Energy & climate
All eyes on the EBRD - will it go coal free?
August 14, 2013
 | by Justin Guay

In case you missed it, the tectonic plates just shifted in the world of international financial institution (IFI) energy lending.

climate, coal, EBRD, EIB, energy, subsidies
EBRD, EIB
Energy & climate
The EIB finally limits coal lending
August 1, 2013
 | by Anna Roggenbuck

For the last couple of years, we have been calling on the European Investment Bank to drop coal lending. Finally, we’re starting to see some results.

analysis, coal, energy, energypolicy, fossil fuels, success
EBRD, EIB
Energy & climate
[Campaign update] EBRD not digging for truth at the Kolubara mine, Serbia
July 26, 2013
 | by Nikola Perusic

By putting too much trust in its client EPS, the EBRD failed to notice that an important grievance mechanism for villagers near the mine was not in place - for two years. [*]

accountability, communities, human rights, Kolubara, lignite, local impacts, mining, resettlement, transparency
EBRD
Social & economic impacts, Mining
PPPs "poor in practice" admits new EBRD-financed study
July 22, 2013
 | by Pippa Gallop

Despite collecting impressive evidence from 20 years of failed public-private partnerships in central and eastern Europe, an EBRD-financed study by the Economist Intelligence Unit concludes to continue using the controversial financing scheme.

Croatia, D1, Hungary, PPP, public-private partnerships, study, Zagreb Arena
EBRD
Transport, Social & economic impacts
New facts are busting energy myths
July 18, 2013
 | by Sven Haertig-Tokarz

Adequate decision making on energy policies must be based on accurate information and cannot rely on outdated knowledge and misconceptions. A new series of fact sheets explores the myths and facts of Europe’s energy sector.

carbon trading, coal, crisis, decision making, energy, energy security, energypolicy, ETS, EU, fossil fuels, nuclear, project bonds, renewables, shale gas
EBRD, EIB, World Bank Group
Energy & climate
UPDATED: A guide to examining the European Investment Bank's energy lending portfolio
July 17, 2013
 | by Anna Roggenbuck

A thorough check of the European Investment Bank's energy lending data shows that not all is as rosy as the EIB would like to see it. We've paired up with Open Spending to provide an introduction into how to interpret and scrutinise the numbers.

climate, data, EIB, energpolicy, energy, portfolio, sustainability
EIB
Energy & climate
The EIB and development, a chance to clean up the bank's act
July 11, 2013
 | by Xavier Sol

The current review of the European Investment Bank’s mandate for lending outside of the EU brings some of the pitfalls of the bank’s development lending to the fore and offers a chance for improvements.

development, European Parliament, financial intermediaries, local impacts, Mopani, private equity, transparency, Zambia
EIB
Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts, Other harmful projects
Democratising Cohesion Policy - Slovakia not ready to put EU funds spending in citizens' hands
July 10, 2013
 | by Miroslav Mojzis

With today’s approval of the watered down proposals to reform EU Structural Funds in the European Parliament’s committee for regional development (see our press release), EU decision makers have taken a step away from ambitious environmental spending in the future Cohesion Policy. At the same time also national level allocation of the 2014-2020 funds is starting to take shape. But efforts to get the funds working sustainably for, and on behalf of, needy local communities are being thwarted in Slovakia - for a range of all too familiar reasons.

Cohesion Policy, decentralisation, decision making, EU funds, local benefits, local economy, municipalities, participation, programming
EU Funds
Is the Latvian success story over? Good public participation practices in EU funds planning in Latvia turns sour
July 8, 2013
 | by Alda Ozola

So far the planning for Latvia’s use of the EU funds for the 2014-2020 period has been a reasonably positive experience from a partnership perspective. Yet the process that has, until recently, been notable for its transparency and high level of public participation is now in danger of being derailed.

Cohesion Policy, EU funds, legislative process, Operational Programme, participation, partnership, programming, transparency
EU Funds

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