Bankwatch

Zagreb Mayor arrested - and not before time

Something quite amazing happened yesterday evening in Zagreb. The Croatian police and the State Prosecutor announced that several people had been arrested on suspicion of a number of criminal corruption offences, abuse of office and peddling influence. Among the arrested were Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic, Head of Zagreb Holding municipal company Slobodan Ljubicic, the head of the ZET public transport company Ivan Tolic, head and part-owner of the CIOS metal recycling company Petar Pripuza and around 15 more un-named people.

Tags: corruption mayor Milan Bandic PPP wastewater Zagreb Balkans

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Social & economic impacts

The Boskov Most hydropower plant, Macedonia

Briefing | October 20, 2014

The Boskov Most hydropower plant includes an accumulation dam 33 metres in height and a power plant with a total capacity of 68MW, Around 80 per cent of the project falls within the territory of the Mavrovo national park, the largest and richest national park in Macedonia. Three years after the signing of a loan agreement over EUR 65 million from the EBRD, little progress has been made with the project. This briefing details several reasons why the project should not receive support from the EBRD.

Institution: EBRD

Theme: Other harmful projects

Green 10 letter to European Parliament president Schulz regarding the appointments of new Commissioners

Advocacy letter | October 17, 2014

This Green 10 letter highlights some controversial aspects of Commission President-elect Juncker's new cabinet appointments, including the inclusion of sustainability within the competency of Commissioner Timmermans.

Institution: EU Funds

Theme: Energy & climate

Poor quality of draft ESIA report for Part C and D of the 750 kV Rivne - Kyiv High Voltage Line Project

Advocacy letter | October 17, 2014

Letter to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 17 October 2014 - Download as pdf

Letter to the European Investment Bank, 31 October 2014 - Download as pdf

Institution: EBRD, EIB

Theme: Energy & climate, Other harmful projects

The ash remains

Bankwatch warns of corruption at Plomin C

October 15, 2014

Source: , Energetika

over 10 hits in national and regional media, including croatian evening news

[Campaign update] Rovinari power plant put on ice

A silver lining has appeared for the people of Rovinari with the set-up of a joint venture for a new lignite-fired power plant being put on hold. The town of Rovinari already suffers under heavy pollution from the existing plant.

Tags: China Huadian Engineering coal economics feasibility Oltenia Energy Complex pollution Rovinari Balkans

Institution: Chinese investors

Theme: Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts

Slovenia coal fraud charges serve as warning for other Balkan countries, say NGOs

October 15, 2014

Ljubljana, Slovenia: Slovenian police yesterday reported that ten people had been charged with fraud in relation to the beleaguered Sostanj 6 lignite power plant project, causing a suspected EUR 284 million in financial harm to Slovene electricity consumers. The charges serve as a new warning to decision-makers across the Western Balkans to closely scrutinise coal power plant projects planned across the region if the mistakes made in the Sostanj 6 project in Slovenia are not to be repeated, warned several NGOs today.

Theme: Energy & climate, Social & economic impacts

Tags: coal, corruption, Balkans

Coal in the Balkans

Live discussion: Coal investments in the Balkans

In an online discussion that will be live-streamed on this page, Bankwatch campaigners will talk about plans for new coal in the Balkan region and contrast it with the bigger European picture on coal.