CEE Bankwatch Network

🥁 🛣️ The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group Complaints Mechanism (EIB-CM) can and should do better! We’ve been banging the drum for years, and the Corridor Vc case is yet another reason why.  Here’s a short recap:  💰 The Corridor Vc is financed by the EU, the EIB and the EBRD. In 2018, the EIB signed a EUR 200 million loan for the construction of a 20.9 km section of the motorway connecting Mostar with Pocitelj.  🙋 In 2017 and 2020, a citizens’ union in the Mostar region submitted a complaint to the EIB-CM, raising several allegations concerning inappropriate selection of routes made without public consultations, negative environmental impacts on water and soil, adverse effects on cultural heritage and harm to the rights and interests of vulnerable groups, including war returnees.  📜 In parallel, the complainants submitted a similar complaint to the EBRD’s Independent Project Accountability Mechanism (IPAM). It concluded that the route selection process had breached the EBRD’s Environmental and Social Policy, providing recommendations for remedy.    🙉 Unlike the EBRD, the EIB has yet to take corrective action and continues to finance the project. Meanwhile, the complainants are still waiting for a response on implementation of the EIB-CM’s recommendations. 📢 As the EIB-CM comes up for review this year, we’re calling on the EIB to make urgent reforms. Functioning grievance mechanisms are key to protecting human rights and promoting climate justice in development projects! Read our Corridor Vc case study here: https://lnkd.in/eKH_d-Rp

New op-ed by AC's Stephanie Amoako: As the United States pulls back from global leadership, the recent European Investment Bank (EIB) group forum in Luxembourg came at a crucial time. As the world’s largest multilateral development bank, the EIB now has a chance to become a responsible development actor — but if and only if the institution properly addresses long-standing deficiencies of its Complaints Mechanism and commitment to accountability.   https://bit.ly/4kEQIad

EU budget allocations for municipal waste management are “insufficient” to support central and eastern European (CEE) member states in catching up with the EU’s decarbonization targets, reveals a new report published by Zero Waste Europe and conducted by CEE partner organizations. Packaging Insights discusses the region’s waste management challenges with the report authors. Janek Vähk, Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath, Evgeniya T. #wastemanagement #decarbonization #recycling #packagingnews #pacakging Reported by Milana Nikolova. Read the full article here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e2WCeGh4

🚀 BOLSTER’s Just Transition Helix Event & Transferability Workshop is here! 🚀 📍 Live from Kyustendil, Bulgaria & online 📅 25-26 March 2025 This interactive workshop, organised with CEE Bankwatch Network, Crowdhelix & Tilburg University, goes beyond theory to deliver practical tools & real-world solutions for fostering inclusive & collaborative Just Transition processes across Europe. 🌱✨ 💡 What to Expect: ✅ Governance models for engaging marginalized communities ✅ Tools for multi-stakeholder collaboration ✅ Policy insights on aligning climate action with local realities ✅ Networking with policymakers, experts & professionals 📺 Join the live stream and be part of the conversation on a fair & inclusive Just Transition! Day 1: https://lnkd.in/dDw8ePZ2  Day 2: https://lnkd.in/dZFwbRsU We encourage everyone to subscribe to BOLSTER’s YouTube channel (https://lnkd.in/d-nzM7M8) and activate the notification bell to receive an alert when the livestream begins! Read the press release here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dB3k46qf #JustTransition #Sustainability #ClimateAction #GreenTransition #EU #BOLSTER #FairFuture

🧩 Tsarkva, a neighbourhood in the just transition city of Pernik, Bulgaria, has a unique opportunity to realise the full potential of renewable energy for heating and cooling. In the latest episode of our ‘decarbonisation roadmap’ podcast series, we speak with our just transition campaigner, Veni Kojouharova, about the most viable solutions and how Pernik can lead Bulgaria’s decarbonisation journey.  🎧 https://lnkd.in/dAeRcniW

🔴 [Webinar alert] Our upcoming panel discussion explores how #biodiversity financing can secure space in the next EU budget.  Join us to discover and discuss:  💠 the current state of biodiversity financing in the EU  💠options for integrating biodiversity into the next EU budget.  💠recommendations for policymakers on how to strengthen the financial architecture for biodiversity conservation and restoration.  Register now: https://lnkd.in/dUFzJrGM

🧐 How is decarbonisation of the waste sector progressing in central and eastern Europe?    Our new report, produced together with Environmental Association Za Zemiata - Friends of the Earth Bulgaria and Zelena akcija / FoE Croatia, and with support from the Methane Matters Coalition and Zero Waste Europe, has the lowdown: 🔎 While recycling improved over the 2014-2021 investment period, biowaste collection is still lagging behind and methane reduction remains a huge challenge.    💰 More targeted investment in biowaste treatment, methane capture technologies and the circular economy is needed to decarbonise the waste sector.    ♻️ The 2021-2027 budget for waste management and the circular economy is 39 % higher and more ambitious, especially when it comes to promoting prevention, minimisation, sorting, reuse and recycling. However, its effectiveness will depend on how these funds are used.    Read the complete findings in our report: https://lnkd.in/e8cEpeia

🏞️ On the International Day of Action for Rivers, environmental groups and scientists call on international financial institutions to preserve key rivers and lakes of Central Asia and stop supporting destructive hydropower projects. 🐟 The rapid development of hydropower projects in the region threatens to fragment its unique river basins, disrupt critical natural habitats and lead to human rights abuses. A map of key freshwater bodies of Central Asia published this month highlights the most threatened rivers. They were identified during more than two years of research involving some of the region's top biodiversity and hydrology experts. ‼️ Banks need to stop supporting harmful hydro projects and channel the funds to the lower impact, decentralised energy options: https://lnkd.in/dNNUY2ce The World Bank Asian Development Bank (ADB) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) EBRD Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Eurasian Development Bank International Rivers Urgewald Friends of the Earth U.S.

CBAM is coming: What does this mean for the coal-heavy Western Balkans? Our take is that the countries must seize the initiative and introduce their own carbon pricing to raise funds for energy transition. This would avoid their electricity exports being subject to taxes that end up in the EU budget, and help drive faster decarbonisation. But time is short, the governments are being indecisive, and the danger of an unplanned, chaotic transition is real. Context dives into the issues in a new article out today: https://lnkd.in/dF48N_yB

📣 National social climate plans: It’s now or never!    ✍️ EU Member States are currently drafting their national social climate plans. These plans should focus on structural solutions that help households – especially the most vulnerable – break their dependence on fossil fuels.    In cooperation with REScoop.eu we have released a checklist to help Member States draft plans guided by effective reforms and investments. These aren’t just ideas – they’re actionable proposals based on proven examples from existing recovery and resilience plans and cohesion policy programmes. Let’s make sure they deliver tangible results!     👀 Read the checklist:  https://lnkd.in/d9a3KCp4