Brussels, 02/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - As Europe struggles under the economic and financial crisis, the European Union is investing billions of euro in controversial projects in Central and Eastern Europe that are harmful both environmentally and socially, NGOs Friends of the Earth Europe (FoE) and CEE Bankwatch Network have claimed, and they have called for an end to this waste.
On 2 February, the two NGOs published a map of the guilty projects - 33 in all, with total costs of €16 billion in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Estonia -raising the alarm and highlighting the harmful impact of projects financed by EU cohesion funding or for which joint funding is being considered.
Whether motorways passing through Natura 2000 sites protected under the habitats and wild bird directives, waste incinerators or airports, the projects will increase pollution, reduce biodiversity, increase the risk of flooding or displace local communities, says the report by the NGOs, “Roadmap to sustainability or dead-end investments”.
Markus Trilling, EU Funds Coordinator for Friends of the Earth Europe and Bankwatch, said: “As we wait for the European Council and Parliament to have their say on the next European budget, this map shows that controversial projects are unfortunately not limited to a few isolated exceptions. EU money has the potential to bring lots of benefits to central and eastern European countries but if nothing changes it will bring substantial environmental and social harm throughout the region. These projects are mistakes Europe cannot afford to make. Future legislation must specifically prohibit the use of Cohesion Policy funds for detrimental projects”.
According to the NGOs' report, €6.5 billion has been spent on damaging projects, almost €5 billion are set to go the same way, and projects totalling another €5 billion are currently being considered for financing in the seven countries. “Courageous action is needed to overturn the legacy of bad planning and realise the beneficial potential of EU funds”, argue the NGOs. (AN/transl.rt)