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Ido Liven
e-mail: ido.liven@bankwatch.org
Tel.: +48 22 892 00 86
skype: ido.bwn

 

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EIB suspends operations in Ukraine, EBRD ducks the question
February 20, 2014

Kiev – The European Investment Bank announced the suspension of all activities in Ukraine yesterday following the most violent day since protests in this country began. In its turn, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development declared it would “concentrate on the private sector”, hardly a meaningful stance considering the close links between government and the business sector in this country.

Mind the environmental gap in south east European electricity market plans, say civil society groups
February 6, 2014

The new version of the EU-backed Energy Community Treaty must ensure that EU environmental and climate standards apply in countries that want to export electricity to the Union, says CEE Bankwatch Network in its submission to the public consultation on the review of the Treaty, which officially closes today.

Leaked document: Doubling of electricity tariffs in Ukraine, condition for EBRD nuclear safety loan
January 27, 2014

The project through which the life time of old Ukrainian nuclear reactors is being prolonged with EBRD financing would not be economically feasible without a doubling of electricity tariffs, shows a document leaked to EurActiv last week.

UPDATED: Slovenia continues to fall into the economic abyss of the lignite plant at Sostanj
January 24, 2014

Ljubljana – The scandal-marred lignite plant TES 6 at Sostanj in Slovenia will likely cost 1.44 billion euros (2 billion US), more than double than what was initially predicted, and is due to produce annual losses of 50 million euros, show calculations recently revealed by Slovenian media. These cost escalations, predicted by NGOs critical of the project, should constitute a word of caution for other countries in South-Eastern Europe that are considering building new coal capacities.

EBRD set to backtrack on environmental and social safeguards
January 22, 2014

A draft released yesterday of the Environmental and Social Policy of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development shows that, instead of strengthening the policy to provide for better implementation, the bank opens several loopholes which ensure that approval of financing is achievable for problematic projects.

Bosnia and Herzegovina breaches Energy Community Treaty commitments, says official NGO complaint
January 16, 2014

Banja Luka – Bosnia and Herzegovina is failing on its Energy Community obligations by allowing Stanari lignite plant to pollute 2-3 times more than EU standards, shows an official complaint submitted today by NGOs Center for Environment from Banja Luka and ClientEarth to the Vienna-based Energy Community Treaty secretariat.

EBRD environmental policy breaches on hydro plants confirmed by internal investigation
January 13, 2014

The EBRD has failed to properly assess 3 hydro projects it has approved for financing in Macedonia, Croatia and Georgia, according to bank internal investigations initiated after formal complaints by Bankwatch member groups. NGOs caution that, more than mere slips, these improper assessments are a symptom of what could be called bankers’ overconfidence – that is, a tendency to assume that all environmental damage can be ‘managed’, which from a business point of view is much more convenient than admitting that some projects simply should not go ahead.

EBRD joins other financial institutions in restricting coal lending
December 10, 2013

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved today during a vote of its Board of Directors a new Energy Strategy. The document is meant to give guidance on how to strategically use the bank’s resources over the next years to promote energy security and affordability and avoid dangerous climate change.

EBRD soft on coal sector corruption, new analysis shows
December 9, 2013

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has been approving financing for coal projects over which corruption allegations loom, and in some cases even while official corruption investigations were underway, according to an analysis published by CEE Bankwatch Network today.

China urged to pursue renewable energy investments, not coal, during summit with eastern European leaders
November 25, 2013

Bucharest -- As the China – Central and Eastern European Countries summit gets underway today in Bucharest, NGOs from across the CEE region have written to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang calling on him to support renewable energy and energy efficiency investments, instead of the series of coal projects currently planned across eastern and south-east Europe.