Spostovani,

FoE in CEE Bankwatch sta pripravila prenovljen zemljevid okoljsko
neodgovornih projektov, ki jih financira denar EU. Focus drustvo za
sonaraven razvoj je prenovo zemljevida podprlo z vkljucevanjem
projekta TES 6 na zemljevid.

Vec informacij je na voljo spodaj.

Lep pozdrav,

Lidija Zivcic

CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release: Thursday 16 April, 2009

*****
MAP OF PROJECTS SHOW DESTRUCTIVE POTENTIAL OF EU BILLIONS

Faster crisis use requires much smarter thinking say environment groups
*****

Brussels, 16 April - CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth
Europe today warned that environmentally destructive and economically
unsound projects, at a total cost of 23 billion euro, in the ten new
member states of central and eastern Europe, may receive an 'un-smart'
green light as the European Union seeks to rapidly deploy billions of
euros to offset the worsening economic crisis.

Launching an updated map of 55 major infrastructure projects [1], the
campaign groups called for smarter, more effective and more transparent
use of EU public money that can deliver long-term jobs and environmental
added-value for a region that is now in the grips of recession and
struggling with still highly inefficient use of energy. They highlight
projects such as motorways and incinerators, the bulk of which are still
in line for funding from the EU structural and cohesion funds and the
European Investment Bank, and several of which are already being funded.

Magda Stockiewicz, director of Friends of the Earth Europe, said: ?The
EU funds have always been a key source of financing for countries in
central and eastern Europe and they are set to play an even more
important role as the economic crisis unfolds. It is not enough to
simply accelerate EU spending. Now more than ever the spending must be
smarter, more effective and more transparent, and most importantly it
needs to combat climate change, the most urgent and severe crisis of all.

?This is a unique opportunity for the new member states to harness
available public finance and shift their economies towards low carbon
development. It is the sensible thing to do if these countries want to
remain competitive.?

Bankwatch and Friends of the Earth Europe previously outlined the
systemic problem of planning major projects in central and eastern
European countries, warning that many of the potential or planned
projects are economically, environmentally and socially controversial
and risk putting the new member state countries on a long-term climate
intensive development path. The updated map shows how the countries
continue to be preoccupied with the same controversial projects, and how
unsustainable trends are increasing.

Keti Medarova-Bergstrom, EU funds coordinator for Bankwatch and Friends
of the Earth Europe, said: ?In the last year we have seen incineration
projects that seek EU money jump from 18 to 22. If approved, these
massive end-of-pipe facilities will block EU funding for more
cost-effective and easy to implement solutions like separate collection,
reuse and recycling schemes.

?In the transport sector, we have seen some positive developments that
should be proof to public purseholders across the region that
infrastructure needs can be reconciled with the natural and social
environment. In the case of the Via Baltica expressway, one of the most
controversial projects to feature on the 2008 map, just last month the
Polish government decided to modify the route of one critical section ?
the Augustow bypass ? in order to avoid cutting through the Rospuda
Valley, a renowned Natura 2000 site. Other road proposals along the Via
Baltica corridor continue to ring alarm bells and reflect the bigger
issue of bias towards road building in the transport planning in these
countries.?

Anelia Stefanova, EU Affairs cooordinator for Bankwatch, said: ?We
welcome the European Commission's efforts to help CEE countries tackle
the crisis, but what we see on the table right now are a number of
infrastructure projects where the development and stimulus effects, not
to mention the climate impacts, are highly questionable. The vast
majority of the projects that feature on our new map have yet to receive
funding, which means that most of the environmental harm and money
wastage can still be prevented. The economic crisis should not be used
as a reason to deploy EU billions for controversial projects before a
proper assessment of alternatives, a stringent application of EU
environmental law and enhanced transparency mechanisms are in place.?

***

For more information please contact:

Keti Medarova-Bergstrom, EU Funds coordinator, CEE Bankwatch
Network/Friends of the Earth Europe, Tel: +32 2 5420188, Mob: +32
487627434, Email: keti.medarovaATfoeeurope.org

Francesca Gater, Communications Officer, Friends of the Earth Europe,
Tel: +32 2 542 6105, Mob: +32 485 930 515, Email:
francesca.gaterATfoeeurope.org

Greig Aitken, Media coordinator, CEE Bankwatch Network, Mob: +42- 605
216 705, Email: pressATbankwatch.org

***

Notes for editors:

[1] The updated interactive map of projects for 2009 can be found online
at: http://bankwatch.org/billions

Watch Keti Medarova-Bergstrom discuss the new map of controversial
projects as well as positive cases that show the way for sustainable use
of EU funds at: http://bankwatch.org


--
Focus drustvo za sonaraven razvoj
Focus Association for Sustainable Development
sedez/headquaters: Maurerjeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
pisarna/office: Trubarjeva 50, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
skype: lidijaanna
tel. + 386 1 515 40 80
www.focus.si





----------------------------------------------------------------
This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.