Environment
Cyprus failing to halt solar power projects in environmentally sensitive areas
12 August 2021 - The rapid expansion of solar power threatens agricultural and protected areas and there have been numerous cases of irreversible damage in Cyprus
Vinča landfill fire – who is responsible for ‘golden utility project’?
10 August 2021 - A fire erupted at the Vinča landfill. Belgrade authorities say Beo čista energija is in charge but it claims it would rehabilitate it when it gets a permit.
Securing EU money for Bulgaria’s energy transition will be difficult without coal phaseout date
09 August 2021 - Professor Koso Stoychev said Slovakia, Romania and Greece have set dates for phasing out coal, and that Bulgaria must do the same.
Rio Tinto to ship pilot lithium processing plant to Serbia from Australia
02 August 2021 - The company is finishing the preparations for the transportation of the processing plant despite mounting protests by Serbian citizens.
Protests as City of Loznica in Serbia adopts spatial plan for Rio Tinto’s lithium project
29 July 2021 - Hundreds of people protested in Loznica in western Serbia as the local assembly was adopting the spatial plan for Rio Tinto's lithium project
Apply for exchange programme for coal regions in Western Balkans, Ukraine, EU
29 July 2021 - The exchange programme is part of the Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine.
Rio Tinto launches controversial Serbian lithium investment before environmental study
28 July 2021 - Rio Tinto keeps buying land in Serbia and getting permits for a lithium mine after the investment decision, but there is no environmental impact study
Earth Overshoot Day is July 29: resource consumption rebounds after pandemic
28 July 2021 - After the pandemic caused a decrease in the use of resources in 2020, the world returned to business as usual and matched the worst result ever.
Montenegro, Republic of Srpska to set up expert team to assess impact of HPP Buk Bijela on Tara river
26 July 2021 - The two sides have agreed to form an expert team of seven members, whose task will be to review the project documentation.
EU Forest Strategy targets 3 billion trees planted by 2030
23 July 2021 - The new EU Forest Strategy includes roadmap to increase the number of trees grown per year from 300 million to 600 million.
Slovenia’s Vizjak proposes referendum on country’s energy future
21 July 2021 - Minister Andrej Vizjak said a plebiscite should be held on Slovenia's overall energy plans and not just on the second nuclear reactor for Krško
Croatia bans single-use plastic products
20 July 2021 - Croatia's parliament has adopted a new law on waste management which bans the sale of single-use plastic products.
Greece sees sharpest coal emissions cut among EU coal-producing countries
19 July 2021 - Greece has achieved a 56.3% reduction in emissions in the sectors covered by the EU ETS, the third best performance among member states.
Plastic Free July: How much plastic waste is dumped into the ocean?
14 July 2021 - While the US is the world’s biggest generator of plastic waste, India is responsible for dumping the largest amounts of plastics into the ocean.
European Parliament wants fossil fuel subsidies phased out by 2025
13 July 2021 - Members of the European Parliament said that all environmentally harmful subsidies should be phased out by 2027.
124,000 sign petition against lithium mine as Rio Tinto mulls project Jadar 2
13 July 2021 - Even though people around Serbia are increasingly protesting Rio Tinto’s plan to open a jadarite mine, the British-Australian miner is in talks with the government on expanding the project.