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Video projected on European Parliament facade Ahead of the EIB's annual meeting, Counter Balance and Bankwatch have chosen an unconventional way to remind the bank's shareholders of the bank's chequered track record.
Video: Egyptian perspectives on the EBRD As the EBRD gets set to invest in Egypt this video highlights the strong sentiments against the widespread privatisation programs proposed by the EBRD.
The quality of quantity - calls for EIB capital increase scrutinised Increasing the European Investment Bank's capital is being suggested as a way to address the EU credit crunch. Yet, the quality of the EIB's investments should be addressed first.
Chernobyl at 26: nuclear dynamite is growing in Ukraine One of the lessons from the nuclear accidents in Chernobyl was that information can increase safety. 26 years later, information is what is being swept under the carpet.
Europe's energy games are not child's play A new campaign video illustrates Europe's self-absorbed approach to its energy policy outside Europe.

CEE Bankwatch Network works across the central and eastern European region to monitor the activities of international financial institutions and propose constructive environmental and social alternatives to the policies and projects they support.

Who we monitor

EBRD

EIB

EU funds

Promoting market economies, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's notion of transition is often blind to its impacts on people and the planet.

The world's biggest public lender, the European Investment Bank notoriously neglects environmental and social aspects and acts far away from public control.

Incoherent funding priorities and inadequate national implementation often inhibit real social, economical and environmental sustainability.

Tug of War. Fossil fuels versus green energy at the EBRD /publications/tug-war-fossil-fuels-versus-green-energy-ebrd May 17, 2012 Study Our study shows that almost half of the 6.7 billion euros lent by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) between 2006-2011 goes to support for fossil fuels. This will prevent the bank's commendable efforts to increase lending to new renewables and energy efficiency from actually making a difference in the global fight against climate change.
Bankwatch Mail 52 /publications/bankwatch-mail-52 May 11, 2012 Bankwatch Mail Issue 52 of our quarterly newsletter is a special double edition as this week sees the annual meetings of two of our target institutions, the EIB and the EBRD. Both banks are attracting widspread coverage: the EIB for its potential role in a belated EU-wide drive for growth; the EBRD as it prepares to extend its operations beyond central and eastern Europe into the North Africa region and as it decides on a new president.
Bankwatch Mail 51 /publications/bankwatch-mail-51 March 13, 2012 Bankwatch Mail Issue 51 of our quarterly newsletter with campaign updates and analyses of international development finance issues.
Spirited away – Mongolia's mining boom and the people that development left behind /publications/spirited-away-mongolias-mining-boom-and-people-development-left-behind January 30, 2012 Study The report, based on a fact finding mission to the Tavan Tolgoi and Oyu Tolgoi mines in Mongolia, examines the social and environmental impacts of mining in Mongolia. It offers a more in-depth look at the impacts on herders who have been displaced by the mining operations, the local effects of the construction of infrastructure and the mining operations themselves.
Carbon Rising: European Investment Bank energy lending 2007-2010 /publications/carbon-rising-european-investment-bank-energy-lending-2007-2010 December 8, 2011 Study The study analyses energy lending by the EIB, the world's largest public bank, since the institution launched its energy policy in 2007. While lending to renewables has increased in the period 2007-2010, support for fossil fuels has also risen, almost doubling from 2.8 billion euros in 2007 to 5 billion in 2010.
Let's talk about IPA - the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance. A toolkit for civil society organisations /publications/lets-talk-about-ipa December 7, 2011 Study This toolkit (available in different languages) was prepared by Bankwatch partner and member groups to help civil society organisations from the Western Balkan region better understand the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) and to learn about EU experiences in programming of the EU funds.
Home is where the heat is: thermal insulation programs for buildings in the Czech Republic and its positive effect on job creation /publications/home-is-where-heat-is November 18, 2011 Study The study shows how targeted public financial support for energy efficiency, mainly thermal insulation of buildings, helped create jobs and increase economic activity across the Czech Republic.
Funding Europe's Future: How Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 can deliver for Europe's people and environment /publications/funding-europes-future-how-cohesion-policy-2014-2020-can-deliver-europes-people-and-env October 24, 2011 Study 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...
EU funds briefing: Transport cohesion on the right track? /publications/eu-funds-briefing-transport-cohesion-right-track September 5, 2011 Briefing This paper describes experiences with the EU funded Transport Operational Programmes (further referred to as OPTs) in four central and eastern European countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Poland. Individual country reports have been produced after 4 and a half years of the respective OPTs" implementation in the current EU budgetary period 2007-2013, and they identify the main facts, weak points and...
Gender and international financial institutions. A guide for civil society. /publications/gender-and-international-financial-institutions-guide-civil-society August 10, 2011 Study The toolkit is based on experiences of different Bankwatch campaigners who have witnessed all kinds of problems caused by internationally sponsored projects. The toolkit is meant to support NGOs from the early steps of their engagement with IFI-sponsored projects. It gives hints about how to identify potential gender related problems and shows ways to prepare for the prevention or mitigation of such problems.
Are we nearly there yet? Dilemmas of transition after 20 years of EBRD's operations /publications/are-we-nearly-there-yet-dilemmas-transition-after-20-years-ebrds-operations May 20, 2011 Study As the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development celebrates twenty years of market and democracy promotion in central and eastern Europe, Bankwatch evaluates the institution's activities since its inception and concludes the bank needs to move swiftly and genuinely towards prioritizing social justice and lowering carbon intensity of economies, if it wants to bring real benefits to the region.
Bankwatch Mail 48 /publications/bankwatch-mail-48 May 19, 2011 Bankwatch Mail On the occasion of the EBRD's 20th anniversary, Bankwatch Mail is complemented by a range of personal reflections from people both within and beyond central and eastern Europe, people who have worked directly on issues related to the EBRD, or who have studied the bank's impacts.
Ignoring Chernobyl's lessons - How EU 'Energy Security' expands nuclear energy in Ukraine /publications/ignoring-chernobyls-lessons-how-eu-energy-security-expands-nuclear-energy-ukraine April 26, 2011 Study As the world marks the 25th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear disaster at Chernobyl and against the backdrop of the threat from Fukushima's nuclear facilities, our study reveals that the European Commission, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are indirectly supporting lifetime extensions of old Ukrainian nuclear reactors as a means to secure 'cheap'...
If fences make good neighbours, what about nuclear energy? How Ukraine’s nuclear future ties into Europe’s energy security strategy /publications/if-fences-make-good-neighbours-what-about-nuclear-energy April 26, 2011 Leaflet In 2010 Ukraine joined the European Energy Community to integrate into the European electricity and gas markets. The Ukrainian government is looking to the EU and international financial institutions to sponsor a warily nuclear-intensive, export-oriented energy program.
Missing in action - The winners, the losers and the unknowns of the European Investment Bank's anti-crisis SME offensive in central and eastern Europe /publications/missing-action-winners-losers-and-unknowns-european-investment-banks-anti-crisis-sme-of December 8, 2010 Study In 2008, the EIB's deployed an additional EUR 15 billion to its 'global loan' lending - as a response to the financial crisis and the difficulty for small and media sized enterprises to access finance. In essence, the package appears to have remained to a large extent in the intermediary banks, the initial recipients of the funding.
Changing Perspectives How the EU Budget can Shape a Sustainable Future /publications/changing-perspectives-how-eu-budget-can-shape-sustainable-future November 18, 2010 Study The report presents a new proposal by seven green NGOs including Bankwatch on how to reform the EU funds, analyses different EU policies and suggests concrete solutions to put an end to environmentally harmful subsidies within the EU Budget. Our key challenges in tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and resource inefficiency need to be prioritised ahead of funding for unnecessary infrastructure projects and the...
Nabucco and Turkmenistan - Our energy security, Turkmens' misery /publications/nabucco-and-turkmenistan-our-energy-security-turkmens-misery September 10, 2010 Study This paper examines the less obvious aspects of the Nabucco gas pipeline project - its possible impact on Turkmenistan, a country notorious for its grave human rights situation and the dictatorial tendencies of its political leaders. It also discusses how, with a lack of public oversight over gas revenues in Turkmenistan, the construction of Nabucco may lead to the strengthening of one of the most brutal regimes...
Can the international financial institutions do more to support new renewables and energy efficiency in south-east Europe? /publications/can-international-financial-institutions-do-more-support-new-renewables-and-energy-effi July 1, 2010 Study As Europe is greening its economy and gearing up to decarbonise by 2050, most south-east European (SEE) countries still view energy efficiency and renewable energy as greens on the side of their main dish. Coal power and large hydropower are still the favourites on the menu, as they depend on indigenous resources and keep energy import dependency lower.
Over the edge. Enel's plans to export its pollution to Porto Romano, Albania /publications/over-edge-enels-plans-export-its-pollution-porto-romano-albania April 27, 2010 Study The Italian energy giant Enel is planning to construct a coal-fired thermal power plant consisting of two 800 MW units at Porto Romano near the city of Durres in Albania. If constructed this would be the largest investment in the history of the Albanian energy industry. Eighty five percent of the electricity produced would be exported to Italy.
Potential unfulfilled - EU funding and Cohesion policy can do more for sustainable climate and energy development in central and eastern Europe /publications/potential-unfulfilled-eu-funding-and-cohesion-policy-can-do-more-sustainable-climate-an March 3, 2010 Study This new analysis from CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe points to some alarming shortcomings in how billions of EU funds earmarked for clean energy projects in the new member states are being deployed.