Romania is continuing to prop up its ailing coal sector, blatantly ignoring EU state aid rules, even as the country claims to be defending EU values while holding the rotating presidency of the bloc, writes Alexandru Mustață.
The EIB and EBRD have been channelling billions of euros in public money to fossil fuels dependent companies, hampering the international community's efforts to tackle climate change, writes Anna Roggenbuck.
The European Commission chose the Trencin region in Slovakia as a pilot for its new initiative to support the transition away from coal in Europe’s regions. Coal company HBP wants to take advantage of the EU initiative – while keeping coal mining in the region.
Millions of euros in public money are being invested in large infrastructure projects in the EU’s eastern neighbours in total disregard for Europe’s climate goals, and local communities, writes Manana Kochladze.
The key to unlocking a more inspiring and politically winnable New Vision for a strong Europe may well be the next European budget, writes David Holyoake.
While it may seem like a gesture to coal-dependent countries such as Poland, the Winter Package of EU energy market rules, presented yesterday (30 November), will make using coal subsidies more difficult, writes Izabela Zygmunt.
Future European investment in Ukraine’s booming agricultural sector are set to be conditioned to reforms and a crackdown on graft. But those reforms may result in the wholesale suspension of regulation in the agricultural sector and land grabbing, writes Fidanka Bacheva-McGrath
