Bankwatch

Belgrade Court Orders Investigation into Kolubara Case

October 6, 2011

Source: Bojana Barlovac, Balkan Insight

Belgrade's Special Court has ordered an investigation into the former director of Serbia's strip mining complex and 16 others on suspicion that they incurred financial damages to the company worth over €10 million.

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Energy & climate

Letter to EBRD: Don't support gold exploration in UNESCO site in Russia

Advocacy letter | October 5, 2011

In August 2011, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced that it was acquiring a stake in GV Gold, one of Russia’s top gold producers, stressing the company's willingness to meet the Bank’s environmental and social requirements.

A GV Gold subsidiary, however, carries out prospecting and plans to mine gold on a territory that is located in its entirety in a UNESCO World Natural Heritage property.

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Other harmful projects, Mining

Managers of EBRD-funded Kolubara mines in Serbia arrested for embezzlement

October 4, 2011

Belgrade -16 current and former members of the management of Serbian state-owned energy company Elektroprivreda Srbija (EPS) were arrested today and yesterday across the country over allegations of embezzlement of company funds. Some of these are people that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has entrusted this summer with managing an 80 million Euros loan for the development of the Kolubara lignite fields near Belgrade.

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts

Serbia: cleaning up like the neighbours

October 4, 2011

Source: Neil MacDonald, Financial Times

The arrest of a former mining boss on the Macedonia-Greece border might seem far from the corridors of Brussels, but the desire for EU membership takes many forms.

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Energy & climate

Rosia Montana gold mine, Romania

In 1999, Gabriel Resources, the Canadian mining company, was granted the right to mine gold in the Rosia Montana area in Romania. Rosia Montana was to become Europe's largest open-cast gold mining project. As Gabriel, the Barbados-registered company with no mining experience whatsoever, is seeking to keep its costs low, they plan to use the controversial cyanide leaching method.

Institution: World Bank Group

Theme: Social & economic impacts, Other harmful projects, Mining

Potocnik says green economy, European public banks say black coal

The European Union's internal and external ambitions for green economies are being countered by the activities of European international financial institutions. EU Commissioner for the Environment Potocnik can see that also in his home country Slovenia.

Tags: energy energy security European Commission fossil fuels Balkans EU EU neighbourhood Global South

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Energy & climate

Complaint to European Commission: Inadequate assessment of CCS readiness for Sostanj lignite power plant project

Official document | October 3, 2011

Download the complaint as pdf

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Energy & climate

Request for information on EIB role in Ostroleka C coal-fired power plant in Poland

Advocacy letter | October 3, 2011

Press information from September 2011 suggested that ENERGA S.A. is holding conversations with the European Investment Bank about financing a new coal-fired unit in Rzekun also referred to as Ostroleka C. With this letter, Bankwatch inquired whether the EIB is having conversations with ENERGA S.A. and if yes, at which stage they are.

Institution: EIB

Theme: Energy & climate

Vladlena Martsynkevych

Email: vladlena AT bankwatch.org

Ukraine office (postal address)
National Ecological Centre of Ukraine
PO Box 306
01032, Kyiv
Ukraine

Tel.: + 380 44 353 7841 (42)
Fax: + 380 44286 3032

Languages: Ukrainian, English, Russian

Vladlena joined Bankwatch in 2007 as officer for the Central Asia and Caucasus programme after being involved in the work of the Ukrainian environmental NGOs.