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Study | November 9, 2011

The report examines the environmental and social devastation caused by European oil multinationals Eni, Total and Shell in Nigeria and suggests a major rethink of the European Union’s so-called ‘energy security strategy’.

More materials

Eni misled shareholders over gas flaring in Nigeria at the PLATFORM Blog

Official document | November 7, 2011

The Boskov Most hydropower plant would be built within the Mavrovo National Park in Croatia right where the very rare Balkan lynx lives. This official complaint to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development argues against a loan for the project (to be decided on November 8, 2011) because of the expected negative impacts on biodiversity and the inadequate environmental assessment so far.

More information on the Bankwatch blog.

Advocacy letter | November 4, 2011

The EBRD has a specific mandate to promote transition to a market economy and to ensure environmental sustainability in all its operations. Additionally to the unacceptable environmental impacts of the hydropower plant projects Ombla (Croatia) and Boskov Most (Macedonia), both projects do not comply with the EBRD's mission. We believe the bank should not support them.

Policy comments | November 1, 2011

As pointed out in our publication Are We Nearly There Yet? Dilemmas of Transition After 20 Years of the EBRD's Operations (pdf), environmental and social sustainability has not been as strong a focus for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development as it should be. How the EBRD measures it's success can be seen as one part of the explanation. It's transition indicators - also at project level - are therefore an important aspect when assessing the bank's performance.

Advocacy letter | October 28, 2011

A coalition of more than 30 Macedonian and international NGOs are calling on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) not to finance the Boskov Most hydro power plant in north-western Macedonia. The project would seriously damage Mavrovo national park, the largest in the country and a potential Natura 2000 site.

Advocacy letter | October 26, 2011

The Ombla hydropower plant is planned to be built in a cave in Croatia that is part of a proposed Natura 2000 site, but the environmental, economic and social impacts have only insufficiently been assessed by the project promoters.

More than 30 Croatian and international civil society organisations therefore urged the EBRD to not approve a loan for the project.

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Study | October 24, 2011

The European Commission's Cohesion Policy regulations fail to earmark sufficient money for green spending in areas such as energy efficiency of buildings, sustainable transport, nature protection or waste management.

Next year, the European Council and European Parliament can amend the regulation texts for the better. Our detailed recommendations for EU regional funds 2014-2020 can help them in their task by outlining which types of spending need to be excluded and which encouraged in order to tackle climate change, stop biodiversity loss and reverse resource-overconsumption while modernising our economies.

Leaflet | October 19, 2011

Upset by Slovenia's plans to build a huge lignite power plant unit in Sostanj, Slovenian artist Marko Kumer-Murc and Slovene environmentalists from Focus brought their protest to Brussels. The leaflet tells Marko's story and offers a quick round-up of Sostanj and other coal power plants that are supported by international financial institutions.

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.

Briefing | October 3, 2011

Despite numerous international calls for the discontinuation of public support for fossil fuels in the face of climate change, the EBRD continues to finance the dirtiest among them, coal. What is more, the bank plans to expand its activities in this field. CEE Bankwatch Network urges the EBRD to phase out any support for coal industry making it more competitive and disadvantaging sustainable energy.

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.

Briefing | September 30, 2011

Preparing for its expansion of operations to the Southern Mediterranean region, the EBRD, after four months of silence, held a consultation meeting with five non-governmental organisations. This briefing gives a short overview over the transparency challenges that lie behind and ahead of the affected civil society.

Bankwatch Mail | September 21, 2011

This edition focuses mostly on the European Investment Bank and EU funds related issues. Among the questions we discuss are: How is the EU budget, this 1 trillion euro process, shaping up, and will sustainability finally have a bigger role? and Will EIB investments in the Southern Mediterranean bring benefits to the people there or to Western companies?