Press Releases
[Press release] Three activists released pending trial for protesting against controversial oil terminal construction in Vlora
(April 14, 2008)
The district court in Vlora, Albania last week released three members
of the Civic Alliance for the Protection of Vlora Bay who were
arrested and detained for two weeks after protesting against the
construction of a hydrocarbons terminal in Vlora. The terminal,
regarded by the protestors as bringing few benefits to the local
economy in exchange for high environmental risks, is being built by the
Italian investor La Petrolifera Italo Rumena. The project is currently
seeking a EUR 15 million credit from the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
[Press release] EU house bank's penchant for dodgy deals in Africa must end, demand campaigners
(March 13, 2008)
The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced last week that it would
endorse and support the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
(EITI). The EIB, which has invested over EUR 700 million in large scale
mining projects in Africa since 2000, stated that it is 'committed to
promoting good transparency and governance in all the projects it
finances'.
While campaign groups welcomed the EIB's support for EITI, they emphasised the major contradiction between the development and transparency ideals in the initiative and the realities of the EIB's lending practices. In particular, NGOs pointed to the recent controversial EIB loan for a major mining project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a project notorious for the lack of transparency and the alleged corruption surrounding it.
While campaign groups welcomed the EIB's support for EITI, they emphasised the major contradiction between the development and transparency ideals in the initiative and the realities of the EIB's lending practices. In particular, NGOs pointed to the recent controversial EIB loan for a major mining project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a project notorious for the lack of transparency and the alleged corruption surrounding it.
[Press release] Waste incinerator plans up in smoke in Hungary, campaigners call for EU funds for recycling
(March 11, 2008)
Environmental campaigners in Hungary are celebrating the axing of a EUR
100 million waste incinerator in the eastern Hungarian town of
Hajduboszormeny. Following strong opposition from local people and
environmental groups to the proposed 150,000 tonne incinerator, in a
statement last week the project promoter Thermic Energy Invest Ltd
cited environmental and public pressure reasons for pulling the plug on
the project.
The Hajduboszormeny incinerator project was one of 50 controversial projects highlighted by CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe in a recently launched map that details projects in line for financial support from the EU funds and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
The Hajduboszormeny incinerator project was one of 50 controversial projects highlighted by CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe in a recently launched map that details projects in line for financial support from the EU funds and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
[Press release] EIB prepared to dig deeper into troubled Ethiopian dam project warns new report
(February 28, 2008)
Serious question marks over the ongoing involvement of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in a hugely controversial Ethiopian dam complex have been raised by a report released today by Counter Balance, a newly formed coalition of European NGOs focusing on the EIB's activities in developing countries.
While the World Bank has publicly pulled out of funding for the USD 1.7 billion Gilgel Gibe III dam – currently Ethiopia’s largest planned infrastructure project – because of criminal proceedings in Italy hanging over the related Gilgel Gibe II dam, the EIB is eyeing a further multi-million euro loan for Gilgel Gibe III. The EIB previously loaned EUR 50 million for Gilgel Gibe II, being constructed by the Italian construction major Salini. Salini is also promoting Gilgel Gibe III alongside the Ethiopian government.
While the World Bank has publicly pulled out of funding for the USD 1.7 billion Gilgel Gibe III dam – currently Ethiopia’s largest planned infrastructure project – because of criminal proceedings in Italy hanging over the related Gilgel Gibe II dam, the EIB is eyeing a further multi-million euro loan for Gilgel Gibe III. The EIB previously loaned EUR 50 million for Gilgel Gibe II, being constructed by the Italian construction major Salini. Salini is also promoting Gilgel Gibe III alongside the Ethiopian government.
[Press release] Billions for major new energy projects in the Balkans but why not a penny for renewables?- demand NGOs
(February 26, 2008)
Eighteen non-governmental organisations from across South East Europe (SEE) have today joined forces to demand the withdrawal of political support for a rash of environmentally and economically destructive power plants planned for the region. In a letter to key decision-makers, the groups lay out their case against a December 2007 decision by SEE energy ministers that prioritises 19 major electricity generation projects. With an overall price tag of at least EUR 8.3 billion, none of these projects involve renewable energy and several are already subject to strong civil society opposition.
[Press release] EU funds for fifty harmful projects: NGOs announce 'RegioScars' - the three most ill-conceived projects in CEE countries
(February 25, 2008)
A new map with details of 50 environmentally damaging and economically
dubious infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe was
launched by CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe in
Brussels today.
Based on the most extensive investigation to date, the map entitled
'Cohesion or Collision?' shows controversial projects with a total cost
of EUR 22 billion. The projects are either already financed, or planned
to be financed, by EU structural and cohesion funds and/or the European
Investment Bank (EIB).
[Press release] EU Ombudsman says NGOs can help EU institutions do their job better, Bankwatch agrees!
(January 24, 2008)
CEE Bankwatch Network has warmly welcomed public comments today from
the European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, praising the vital
role played by NGOs in pointing out instances of maladministration in
the EU institutions.
Among the successful NGO cases cited in the press release from the Ombudsman’s office is one involving Polish Green Network, a Bankwatch member group in Poland. Along with The Society for the Earth, in summer 2006 the group lodged a complaint to the Ombudsman concerning the financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) in 2001 for flood reconstruction and repair works in Polish rivers. The Ombudsman’s recent verdict was critical of the EIB in its failure to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive.
Among the successful NGO cases cited in the press release from the Ombudsman’s office is one involving Polish Green Network, a Bankwatch member group in Poland. Along with The Society for the Earth, in summer 2006 the group lodged a complaint to the Ombudsman concerning the financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) in 2001 for flood reconstruction and repair works in Polish rivers. The Ombudsman’s recent verdict was critical of the EIB in its failure to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive.
[Press release] Kazakhstan loses USD 5 bn from oil deal as more delays emerge – new analysis Oil companies accused of 'hiding bad news' over Kashagan oilfield
(January 22, 2008)
A new deal with an Eni-led consortium to develop the super-giant Kashagan oilfield will leave Kazakhstan $5 billion worse off than previously, according to new analysis published today. The deal, reached on Sunday after more than six months of dispute over the field, slightly improved Kazakhstan’s share of revenues, but at the same time included an announcement of a further delay to startup of production, from 2010 to 2011.
The analysis released today shows that the improved terms – worth around $3.5 billion – is more than offset by the $8.7 billion cost to Kazakhstan of the delay.
[Press release] Protestors pay homage to "Vlad the Nuclear" in Sofia as Belene nuke costs soar, and two further reactors are mooted
(January 18, 2008)
Protests took place today in Sofia against Russia’s president Vladimir
Putin, visiting Bulgaria to sign energy contracts for the earthquake
zone-located Belene nuclear power plant (NPP) on the Danube and the
planned Bourgas-Alexandrupolis (B-A) pipeline to carry Russian oil via
the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Bourgas and Greece's Alexandroupolis on
the Aegean.
[Press release] World Bank pulls out of dubious energy intensive project in Ukraine
(January 15, 2008)
CEE Bankwatch Network today welcomed the World Bank’s decision not to pursue a USD 250 million loan for the completion of the first phase of the controversial Dniester Hydropower Pumped Storage Plant (PSP) project in Ukraine. In tandem with strong local opposition to the project, the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine (NECU), Bankwatch’s member group, has spearheaded a campaign which has drawn attention to a wide range of environmental, social and economic risks attached to the project.
[Press release] Seven more Kazakh Mittal mine deaths in spite of EBRD millions for safety measures
(January 11, 2008)
A methane blast today at the Arcelor Mittal-owned Abaiskaya coal mine in the Karaganda region in Central Kazakhstan.has left seven miners dead and nine seriously injured, with 17 still missing. In terms of fatalities it is the worst mining disaster at the Mittal mines in Karaganda since the September 2006 accident at the Lenin mine that caused 41 deaths.
Mittal has operated in Kazakhstan since 1995, and since 1997 has received over USD 200 million in credits from the World Bank’s private arm the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The public lenders maintain that their support has helped to raise the company’s health, safety and environmental standards to western levels. However a series of fatal accidents in Karaganda mines have cast strong doubts on how effectively the steel giant Arcelor Mittal is using this public money.
[Press release] Local resistance to nightmare Albanian energy development scenario remains defiant, protestors demand a referendum
(January 11, 2008)
3000 citizens from the city of Vlora in Albania held a large protest
rally this weekend at the coastal site that has been designated as the
construction site for an oil and gas terminal and a thermo power plant.
The protestors called on national institutions to respect their right
to a local referendum on the constructions. They also urged the World
Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and
the European Investment Bank (EIB) not to provide finance for projects
that do not respect local public rights to participate in decision
making and that will have strong negative impacts in the very sensitive
area of Vlora Bay. The
Sunday rally followed ten days of protest at the end of the year which
saw the arrests of 20 people by 200 local policemen. Those arrested
reported being beaten by rubber truncheons at the local police station.
The police forces prevented the local media from reporting on the
event.
[Press release] Kazakhstan to lose USD 20 billion from "greedy" oil contract
(December 21, 2007)
CEE Bankwatch Network, Campagna per la riforma della Banca Mondiale (CRBM), FoE France, Crude Accountability, PLATFORM
Kazakhstan is set to lose up to USD 20 billion in the next 10 years, due to an unfair contract to extract the world´s largest undeveloped oilfield. These are the findings of a report released today by development and environment organisations, as a dispute between the Kazakhstan government and oil companies failed today to reach its conclusion.
Earlier this year, the Kazakhstan government announced that it wanted a better deal from the international oil companies developing the Kashagan field. The government and companies had set a deadline of today to complete the negotiations, but have failed to reach agreement.
[Press release] Murder of St. Petersburg activist casts shadow over Western High Speed Diameter project
(December 19, 2007)
Dmitry Troyan, a civic activist defending the rights of property owners along the planned route of the St. Petersburg Western High Speed Diameter (WHSD) expressway died in hospital yesterday after being beaten by anonymous attackers last Friday. As chairman of the regional branch of the Russian Association of Car Drivers, Dmitry Troyan assisted the owners of garages to file legal claims for fair compensation for their property, which is to be expropriated to make space for the expressway. Troyan managed to win several court cases against the City, in which the garage proprietors were given the right to compensation of 150 000 rubles, a several-fold increase on that offered by the city authorities. Troyan’s colleagues speculate that the murder might be connected with his involvement in the compensation claims regarding the WHSD.
[Press release] NGOs show real energy security while South East European ministers talk fossils and nukes
(December 18, 2007)
“Real energy security is staring us in the face”, a compilation of case studies of renewable energy projects from South East Europe, was launched today by South East Europe Development Watch (SEEDW). The publication highlights the potential for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the region and coincides with a meeting of South East European energy ministers in Belgrade.
Analysing the merits of solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, small hydropower and energy efficiency projects in Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia, the case studies aim to encourage investors and governments to move renewable energy to the top of their priority lists instead of treating them as marginal energy sources.
[Press release] Rospuda Wetland road in jeopardy as Polish court cancels environmental consent
(December 10, 2007)
The Regional Administrative Court in Warsaw today cancelled the
environmental consent for the entire 17 kilometre Augustow Bypass in
north-east Poland. The decision places the development of the road in
serious doubt as it should not be implemented without the due
environmental clearance.
This section of the “Via Baltica” expressway has been routed by the Polish Road Agency – the investor – through the Natura 2000 site “Augustow Forest” which includes the unique mires of the Rospuda Valley. The case was referred by the European Commission to the European Court of Justice in March 2007 for infringing the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive.
This section of the “Via Baltica” expressway has been routed by the Polish Road Agency – the investor – through the Natura 2000 site “Augustow Forest” which includes the unique mires of the Rospuda Valley. The case was referred by the European Commission to the European Court of Justice in March 2007 for infringing the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive.
[Press release] Environmental organisations condemn European Commission decision on Bulgarian reactor
(December 10, 2007)
Environmental organisations Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth Europe,
Urgewald, Bankwatch, WISE and the Bulgarian NGO coalition BeleNE! today
condemned last Friday’s favourable opinion from the European Commission
on the controversial Belene nuclear power project (NPP) in Bulgaria.
Jan Haverkamp, Greenpeace EU nuclear energy expert, commented: "Despite all the warnings by environmentalists and nuclear experts, the Commission has opened the possibility for public funding to a reactor that puts European citizens at risk. This is a disgrace."
Under the Euratom Treaty, the European Commission is obliged to issue a non-binding opinion on every nuclear project within the EU. A favourable view from the Commission on Belene clears the way for Bulgaria to apply for loans from public institutions like Euratom and the European Investment Bank.
Jan Haverkamp, Greenpeace EU nuclear energy expert, commented: "Despite all the warnings by environmentalists and nuclear experts, the Commission has opened the possibility for public funding to a reactor that puts European citizens at risk. This is a disgrace."
Under the Euratom Treaty, the European Commission is obliged to issue a non-binding opinion on every nuclear project within the EU. A favourable view from the Commission on Belene clears the way for Bulgaria to apply for loans from public institutions like Euratom and the European Investment Bank.
[Press release] Uncovered: Dirty impacts of Kashagan oil field
(December 5, 2007)
Toxic chemicals linked to development of the Kashagan oil field in
Kazakhstan are polluting the Caspian Sea environment and damaging the
health and livelihoods of local communities, reveals a report launched
today by a coalition of NGOs.
The Italian energy giant Eni - the company ultimately responsible for
operations at the oil field - will be directly confronted with the
NGOs' findings at a public debate in the European Parliament this
afternoon.
[Press release] European Parliament passes resolution to end taxpayer support for fossil fuels projects
(November 29, 2007)
With a resounding majority (540 MEPs in favour), the European Parliament today passed a resolution on trade and climate change which calls for "the discontinuation of public support, via export credit agencies and public investment banks, for fossil fuel projects". The step was widely welcomed by environmental and development NGOs campaigning on export credit agencies (ECAs) and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
National public finance institutions in industrialised countries, known as ECAs, promote exports and investments in developing countries which significantly contribute to long-term increases in greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that ECAs support approximately double the amount in financial terms of oil, gas and mining projects as compared to all of the multilateral development banks combined. Half of all new greenhouse gas- emitting industrial projects in developing countries have some form of ECA support.
National public finance institutions in industrialised countries, known as ECAs, promote exports and investments in developing countries which significantly contribute to long-term increases in greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that ECAs support approximately double the amount in financial terms of oil, gas and mining projects as compared to all of the multilateral development banks combined. Half of all new greenhouse gas- emitting industrial projects in developing countries have some form of ECA support.
[Press release] Ex-head of Bulgarian Nuclear Safety Authority speaks out against Belene project
(November 23, 2007)
The controversy around the Bulgarian government’s plan to build a
nuclear power plant (NPP) in an earthquake area close to the Romanian
border has now reached Brussels. In a press conference today, Dr.
Gueorgui Kastchiev, the former president of the Bulgarian Nuclear
Regulatory Authority, presented a list of concerns and stated: “I
believe that the Belene nuclear power project must be stopped as soon
as possible.”
Kastchiev’s statement comes at a sensitive time. The European Commission is due to issue an official opinion on the Belene project in early December. Although the Commission’s opinion is non-binding, the Bulgarian government has nonetheless been lobbying hard for a positive assessment of the project, as this would enable it to apply for financial assistance from Euratom and the European Investment Bank.
Kastchiev’s statement comes at a sensitive time. The European Commission is due to issue an official opinion on the Belene project in early December. Although the Commission’s opinion is non-binding, the Bulgarian government has nonetheless been lobbying hard for a positive assessment of the project, as this would enable it to apply for financial assistance from Euratom and the European Investment Bank.
CEE Bankwatch Network gratefully acknowledges EU funding support.