1/ In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Upper Horizons hydropower complex is reshaping the landscape and threatening the rivers Buna, Bunica and Bregava, as well as Hutovo Blato and the Neretva Delta. 🌊

A letter signed by more than 100 organisations was sent to Hoekstra, asking not to bring fossil fuel lobbyists to COP30 🇧🇷 👍 Promisingly, there were no lobbyists in the official EU delegation last year 👎EU Member States still brought 113 lobbyists ✉️: fossilfreepolitics.org/news/cop30-l... #COP30

5 years into the EU's Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, it’s had limited results on the ground. With a new Action Plan endorsed in Oct., our blog examines whether civil society proposals were taken into account, and whether the revised plan can inject new dynamism. bankwatch.org/blog/with-a-...

1/ Europe’s nature is in crisis. The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 promised to put nature on the road to recovery. But halfway through, it’s clear: we’re off track. ❌ No increase in protected land and sea areas since 2021 1/2

1/2 Over the past decade, the EIB has supported the modernisation of Ukraine’s urban transport through two major projects. 🚌 Despite their benefits, progress has stalled due to systemic challenges and weak environmental protections.

This year’s #UrbanOctober is about building people-centred smart cities. ♻️One key element? Smarter waste management, starting with biowaste! Our upcoming briefing calls for EU funds to help cities improve separate collection & invest in circular solutions. Stay tuned! bankwatch.org/publication/...

From 1 January 2026 – in just two months’ time – the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will take full effect. Will it help drive a sustainable and just energy transition in the Western Balkans, or result in a perfect storm? Find out more: bankwatch.org/wp-content/u...

A list of EU priority energy projects to be unveiled next month risks enabling a reckless expansion of fossil hydrogen. Both civil society and EU agencies have been warning that a hydrogen-packed PCI list could impede Europe’s energy transition. Read our new blog post: bankwatch.org/blog/prefere...

At the @eib.org civil society seminar, we urged the Bank to update its outdated gender strategy. Amid backlash against LGBTIQ+ 🌈 rights, the EIB must lead by example — embedding equality and inclusion in every investment and policy decision. 👓 Read more: bankwatch.org/blog/ringing...

The EU’s green transition has slipped down the agenda, as shown in talks on the MFF 2028–2034. @ceebankwatch.bsky.social insists: "no one should be left behind on the path to climate neutrality." We met the team in Warsaw to dig into the MFF process and support their campaign.

🏠 Europe’s housing crisis and its climate goals are deeply intertwined. Affordable, social, climate-neutral housing is possible, but not yet the norm. Our briefing explores how EU funds can bridge the climate & housing agendas. bankwatch.org/public...

🚨Hydrogen-hype klaxon! Dozens of fossil gas-based hydrogen projects could soon receive EU priority status, threatening to derail Europe’s energy transition. Read a new open letter from 34 civil society groups on the next Projects of Common Interest list: bankwatch.org/publication/...

🚨Hydrogen-hype klaxon! Dozens of fossil gas-based hydrogen projects could soon receive EU priority status, threatening to derail Europe’s energy transition. Read a new open letter from 34 civil society groups on the next Projects of Common Interest list: bankwatch.org/publication/...

At last week’s @eib.org civil society seminar, we raised alarms over Corridor Vc in Bosnia and Herzegovina – a project marred by stalled works, forced expropriations and threats to ecosystems in a national park proposed for protection. Read more: bankwatch.org/publication/...

As the Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit begins in London, 67 CSOs have shared feedback about the 2025 process. Time to move beyond symbolic participation and strengthen civil society’s role. How? 📖 bankwatch.org/wp-content/u...

🤔 How can art play a role in bringing just transition communities together? In June, activists and artists from just transition regions in Poland, Greece & Romania assembled in Konin to find out! This is their story.

The Buk Bijela dam on the upper Drina raises major environmental, legal & financial red flags. Closed bids from Chinese firms and a flawed EIA put the river’s future at risk. It’s a risky project putting profits over nature. 📢 Stop Buk Bijela! bankwatch.org/stopbu...

Blog article by @ceebankwatch.bsky.social highlights the growing threats and impacts of #BigBadBiomass in West Balkan region. With a link to our map of biomass and pellet plants (also below). www.linkedin.com/posts/cee-ba...

The just transition has led to significant changes across the EU. Today, at the #JustTransitionPlatform, Miłosława Stępień highlighted the importance of continued support and dedicated funding for regions. ‘Leaving no one behind’ should not expire with the end of the EU’s current long-term budget!

⚠️ EIB-backed roads in Georgia reveal deep flaws: forced expropriations, no consultations, unsafe work, and the exclusion of ethnic minorities and women. The @eib.org must act now to protect rights & uphold EU values. 📜 Read our new briefing: bankwatch.org/publication/...

💬 If the EU is to lead on global development, its bank must do more than just talk about it. EIB Global must ensure transparency, human rights safeguards and alignment with EU values across all its global operations. ✉️ Read our letter to the @eib.org Board: bankwatch.org/publication/...

🧐 How can art play a role in bringing just transition communities together? Join us on 21 X for the 5th Just Transition Platform, where we’ll be launching our new video – Just Transition Culture – Art and Activism in the Transitioning Regions'. 📽️ Watch live from 22 October!

1/2 #WorldFoodDay reminder 🍽️: Food waste isn’t only about lost meals, it also generates pollution and methane when burned or landfilled. Instead, separate collection & composting could cut emissions, restore soils & boost circularity.

Governments are eyeing over EUR 3 billion in EU climate money for fossil gas and other harmful energy sources. Some dubious investments – from gas pipelines to nuclear power plants – could be financed by the Modernisation Fund as soon as December. 🙅 Read our briefing: bankwatch.org/publication/...

🚫 #StopBukBijela – protect the Drina & Piva rivers! Despite legal challenges, Republika Srpska is pushing ahead with the Buk Bijela dam, Montenegro – with Kruševo. No dams on the upper Drina! 🔗 bankwatch.org/stopbukbijela Footage: Ante Gugić, moremedia.hr, Robert Oroz

In July, the European Commission published a proposal for a new post 2027 EU budget. 🚨 Nature is left behind with no dedicated fund and no biodiversity targets. 🔍 Read more about gaps in the next EU budget: bankwatch.org/publication/...

1/2 The revised Green Agenda Action Plan is expected to be adopted or endorsed at the Dubrovnik Summit this week, on 14 to 15 October. But in spite of repeated promises, no public consultation has been held on the Plan.

🤔 What could possibly go wrong as the @ebrd.bsky.social backs one of its most controversial clients in one of Europe’s most troubled democracies? Indorama’s Rustavi Azot project in Georgia raises red flags for labour, the environment & accountability. Read more: bankwatch.org/blog/ebrd-s-...

1/🌿 The Emerald Network is a vital ecological network of protected areas across Europe – helping to safeguard threatened species and natural habitats.

How can Ukraine’s recovery align with climate neutrality? Join experts, policymakers & civil society for 4 tracks on policy, construction, land use & green investment. 📅 17–18 Oct 2025 📍 Lviv, Ukraine | in-person & online 🔗 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

🚫 Stop Buk Bijela! One of 14 dams planned on the Drina, it threatens the Danube salmon 🐟 and rafting tourism 🚣‍♂️. Despite legal violations, the project is moving ahead with a flawed environmental assessment. No dams on the upper Drina! 🔗 bankwatch.org/stopbu...

1/2 Together with @euronatur.bsky.social and our other partners, we recently visited projects in Poland. 🐦 @otop-birdlife.bsky.social took us to the Vistula River to see a biodiversity-rich area where ringed plover nests are monitored.

🔋 The Western Balkans have a rare chance to leapfrog fossil gas and build a clean energy system. 🔥 Yet EUR 3.5 billion in gas infrastructure is still being planned, which would lock the region into decades of dependence, pollution and financial risk. Read more: euobserver.com/eu-and-the-w...

"The region stands at a crossroads. One path leads to decades of fossil fuel lock-in and stranded assets. The other leads to energy independence, EU integration and a fair renewable energy system that works for everyone," says Pippa Gallop @ceebankwatch.bsky.social. euobserver.com/eu-and-the-w...

We’re joining forces with 156 organisations to urge the @ec.europa.eu & Member State governments to stop expanding waste incineration capacity across the EU. Urgent, EU-level coordination is needed to confront this burning issue & promote responsible waste management. bankwatch.org/wp-content/u...

🤨 On 30 April 2025, the @ebrd.bsky.social approved an USD 80 million loan to MHP, but only disclosed it four months later. Ongoing complaints from Vinnytsia (Ukraine) locals about pollution, road impacts, and cracked homes remain unresolved. ✉️ Read the letter: bankwatch.org/wp-content/u...

The Western Balkans use just 1% as much fossil gas as the EU. They have a rare chance to skip gas and leapfrog straight to renewables, like solar and wind energy, heat pumps and geothermal. Our rew report with @ceebankwatch.bsky.social👇 beyondfossilfuels.org/2025/09/25/d...

Is your town facing fossil fuel phase-out, rising energy costs, or new renewable projects? Want to co-create a clean energy future? 🌍 📘 SHARED GREEN DEAL’s new guide shows how communities in Poland, Spain & the UK did it. Download now: bankwatch.org/publication/...

🚨Western Balkans govts are pushing fossil gas pipelines with an annual import capacity of 10.5 billion cubic metres. These could triple their dependence — or end up as stranded assets. Our new report with @ceebankwatch.bsky.social explains why gas is a dead end. beyondfossilfuels.org/2025/09/25/d...

Check out our new briefing on gas plans in the #WesternBalkans. Governments are fossil-fooling people that gas is the fuel of the future, but this couldn't be further from the truth. The EU and other international donors need to send clearer messages: no new fossil fuels, cut to a clean future!

The Western Balkans are being nudged from one fossil-fuel trap (coal) into another (gas). Why?

🚨 Western Balkans govts are pushing fossil gas pipelines with an annual import capacity of 10.5 billion cubic metres. These could triple their dependence — or end up as stranded assets. New report with @beyondfossilfuels.bsky.social explains why gas is a dead end. bankwatch.org/publication/...

Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath, Ioana Ciuta and Branka Špinaček from @ceebankwatch.bsky.social work to ensure that public funds look after people and the environment. (2/3)

Two stories, two videos, one powerful message. The energy transition isn’t some distant goal – it’s already changing lives across Europe! 🌱💡 We’ve teamed up with EUKI to showcase how innovation and collaboration are transforming communities in Estonia and Hungary. www.euki.de/en/how-commu...

🔋Outdated grids are blocking the path to an inclusive energy transition in central and eastern Europe. Our analysis shows how empowering energy community initiatives can deliver tangible benefits for vulnerable communities. 👀 Read the briefing: bankwatch.org/publication/...

1/3 For years, climate activists sounded the alarm. The science was clear, the signs undeniable – yet action lagged. Emissions kept rising and each year grew hotter, with 2024 the warmest yet.

1/3 🧵 Billions are flowing into Ukraine’s reconstruction, but without genuine public oversight, communities and CSOs risk being sidelined. Decisions on massive projects are being shaped without a clear, structured role for civil society. #UkrainianView 1/3

1/5 Ukraine’s recovery can’t be business as usual. A new expert roadmap from the Build Ukraine Back Better platform (with contributions from Bankwatch) lays out the non-negotiable steps for a green reconstruction. The roadmap is built on three pillars: #UkrainianView 1/5

A new EUR 60M EBRD-funded wind farm is under construction in western Ukraine. Our investigation reveals some shortcomings that need attention. 🚨 An examination of the project's environmental impact assessment reveals some concerns. 1/4

🚌 Residents of Bishkek have asked the @ebrd.bsky.social’s Independent Project Accountability Mechanism to help resolve the city’s public transport shortage, following a decision to dismantle the city’s once iconic trolleybus network. 👓 Read more: bankwatch.org/press_releas...