Publications on EU funds

In the last four years, Bankwatch has invested significant efforts in building the capacity of CSOs in the Western Balkans on various topics, particularly on the funding mechanism Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA). This compilation is intended to serve CSOs in IPA beneficiary countries and provide information about some good practices from Visegrad 4 coutries that can now be implemented in the Balkan region. It is our hope that it is found useful and worthy of distribution across the region.

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.

The Bosnian NGO Center for Environment developed this position on the possibilities for investments in resource efficiency projects in the country.

EU member states and the European Commission, after what has felt like a marathon two-year process, are now engaged in finalising agreements on the EU’s Structural and Cohesion Funds (ESIF) investment strategies and spending plans for the 2014 -2020 EU budget period.

Where the 11 'new' member states of central and eastern Europe (CEE) are concerned, their approach to economic and societal development via the EU funds is proving to be a double-edged sword: while their spending plans for climate action is set to increase ten-fold in comparison to the 2007-2013 period, and the 'greenest Cohesion Policy legislation ever' prevents them from committing major environmental crimes, a reasonable long-term investment strategy, and financing, to achieve the decarbonisation of these economies by 2050 is noticeably lacking.