Home >> News Media >> Bankwatch blog

Bankwatch blog

In times of crisis - Poland's take on the Emperor's New Clothes
September 9, 2011
 | by Pippa Gallop

Poland has made a worrying proposal on public private partnerships that could risk the future stability of European economies by turning a blind eye to future public debt. But the EU would do well to take the British example as an eye opener.

accountability, corporations, policy, PPP, transparency
EU Funds, EBRD, EIB
Transport, Social & economic impacts
Contemplating secure and insecure energy supply
September 7, 2011
 | by Manana Kochladze

The EU external energy policy Communication published today by the European Commission continues the decade-long approach of the EU to ensure the unhindered flow of fossil fuel energy supplies to Europe without a real recognition of the problems this drive creates both inside and outside of the EU.

energy, energy security, European Commission, extractive industries, fossil fuels, human rights, local benefits, policy, transparency
EBRD, EIB
Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts
New EIB report on SMEs: another rabbit in the hat from our favorite bank
August 30, 2011
 | by Laszlo Fazekas

The Bankwatch EIB team read the most recent report by the European Investment Bank on the bank's crisis lending to small and medium enterprises and they were surprised by its main claims: unlike what the EIB says, our own research shows that EIB crisis loans to SMEs were more helpful to commercial banks disbursing them than to the cash-strapped small and medium enterprises they were supposed to help.

financial intermediaries, financial markets, global loans, SMEs
EIB
Social & economic impacts
No more (EU) sweeping under the rug!
August 15, 2011
 | by Marijan Galovic

Bankwatch's waste expert, analyses the draft EU Resource Efficiency Roadmap released by the Commission this month. A good start, but much more is needed, says Galovic.

EU budget, resource efficiency
EU Funds
Resource efficiency
Chercher la femme: gender equality sidelined in international finance
August 10, 2011

Manana Kochladze, Bankwatch’s regional coordinator for the Caucasus and co-author of our new civil society guide Gender and international financial institutions talks about the impacts on women’s lives when big money comes to help “develop” their countries.

employment, gender, human rights, local benefits, participation, policy
EBRD, EIB, World Bank Group, ADB
Social & economic impacts
Bypassing responsibility
August 8, 2011
 | by David Chipashvili

The complaints office at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has agreed to investigate a complaint from Bankwatch that a railway project in Georgia has not been properly assessed. Georgian Bankwatcher Dato Chipashvili thinks the case should be a lesson for the EBRD to make sure that from the start local people have their say in how projects are done.

hazardous waste, participation, public transport, railways, success, transparency
EBRD
Transport, Social & economic impacts
Why not do the obvious and use the EU bugdet for energy efficiency?
August 4, 2011
 | by Ondrej Pasek

As discussions intensify about the future European Union budget, Bankwatch's Czech energy campaigner outlines how spending EU money on energy efficiency promises better economic, social and environmental returns than the prevailing consensus about big infrastructure projects.

employment, energy, energy efficiency, energy security, EU budget, policy
EU Funds
Energy & climate
From the outside looking in on EU money for Balkan accession
July 14, 2011
 | by Ana Colovic Lesoska

Macedonian Bankwatcher Ana Colovic-Lesoska is disappointed by how few opportunities for real public participation were provided during the European Union's (EU) consultation on the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), the main EU financial tool to help countries in their efforts to join the Community.

European Commission, participation, policy, transparency
EU Funds
18 000 ask Slovenia to adopt clean energy. EBRD and EIB, take a hint.
July 5, 2011
 | by Pippa Gallop

18 000 people from around the world have asked the Slovene government to adopt a future proof National Energy Plan that doesn't rely on fossil fuels or nuclear energy. Bankwatch research coordinator Pippa Gallop took part in handing over the list of signatories yesterday and points out that European public banks also need to take the message seriously.

coal, fossil fuels, nuclear, petition, policy, success, TES6
EBRD, EIB
Energy & climate
EBRD: Don't open pandora's box with lignite open cast mine in Serbia
July 4, 2011
 | by Zvezdan Kalmar

Before making any decisions on the planned EUR 80 million loan for the Kolubara lignite mine project in Serbia, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Board of Directors should take note of the controversy the bank will get involved in. Not only are the climate impacts of lignite well known, but the project is also indirectly connected to the resettlement of nearby residents.

energy, fossil fuels, human rights, participation, resettlement
EBRD
Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts

Tag cloud

more tags

Blog posts by institution

EBRD
EIB
EU Funds

Blog posts by region

Connect with us online

Facebook   Twitter   YouTube   RSS feed