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NGOs announce 'RegioScars' - the three most ill-conceived projects in CEE countries Brussels, 25 February - A new map with details of 50 environmentally damaging and economically dubious infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe was launched by CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe in Brussels today [1]. Based on the most extensive investigation to date, the map entitled 'Cohesion or Collision?' shows controversial projects with a total cost of EUR 22 billion. The projects are either already financed, or planned to be financed, by EU structural and cohesion funds and/or the European Investment Bank (EIB) [2]. Martin Konecny, Coordinator for EU funds at Friends of the Earth Europe said: "EU funding support for Central and Eastern European countries is necessary and welcome. But if the money drives reckless developments and environmental destruction, its potential to deliver benefits is being wasted. The map shows that harmful projects are unfortunately not limited to a few isolated exceptions. Yet these problems are wholly unnecessary because alternatives exist. The European Commission and the EIB should call a halt to such projects and demand that alternative solutions are properly assessed." The total cost of the 50 projects is EUR 22 billion, of which EUR 10 billion would be paid by EU funds and further billions by the EIB. Some of the projects have been approved already, but most are planned in the budgetary period 2007-2013. [3] The projects on the map include:
Anelia Stefanova, EU-affairs coordinator at CEE Bankwatch Network said: "Recklessly prepared projects lead to disputes and delays and thereby jeopardize the ability of the new member states to absorb the full amounts of EU funds available. Our aim with this map of controversial projects is to warn about the problems before they happen - most of the 50 projects are still under preparation." On the day that European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Huebner awarded 'RegioStars' for the most innovative projects but also appeared before the European Parliament to explain discrepancies in EU funding, CEE Bankwatch Network and Friends of the Earth Europe also revealed their selection of 'RegioScars' - the three most ill-conceived projects planned for EU funding in the new member states in the 2007-2013 period. The following projects were selected by an NGO jury based on
environmental, economic and social criteria: Magda Stoczkiewicz, Policy coordinator at CEE Bankwatch Network commented: "The plan to build nine polluting waste incinerators throughout Poland will divert money from the much more needed and effective recycling services. This is unjustifiable at a time when Poland recycles merely 3 per cent of its municipal waste. That's why this scheme fully deserves the 'RegioScar' for worst project. The Via Baltica and R52 expressways in Poland and the Czech Republic are second and third worst as they will both damage highly valuable natural sites and landscapes despite the availability of much less damaging, shorter and less costly alternative routes." *** Martin Konecny, Coordinator for EU funds, Friends of the Earth Europe / CEE Bankwatch Network, Tel. + 32 2 542 0185, Mob. + 32 484 601 283, martin.konecny@foeeurope.org Anelia Stefanova, EU-affairs Coordinator, CEE Bankwatch Network, Magda Stoczkiewicz, Policy Coordinator, CEE Bankwatch Network, Brussels Greig Aitken, Media coordinator, CEE Bankwatch Network, Tel. + 420 605 216 705, press@bankwatch.org Francesca Gater, Communications Officer, Friends of the Earth Europe, Tel. +32 2 542 6105, Mob. + 32 485 930 515, francesca.gater@foeeurope.org ***
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