European IFI Watchers Discuss Energy Options for Kosovo

This week the European network of IFI (International Financial Institution) watchers – the EuroIFInet – met in Pristina for its 22nd Annual Meeting. The Kosovar Civil Society Consortium for Sustainable Development (KOSID) – a EuroIFI member – hosted the event, highlighting activities and on-going advocacy concerning the energy sector in Kosovo.

The topics of this year’s meeting included co-ordination of NGO actions for the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the IMF, which will take place in Washington D.C. from 7th to 13 of October. Other topics were the on-going safe guards review, IDA 17 replenishment, the World Bank strategy, and the New Kosovo Power Plant project that is being supported by the World Bank.

The EuroIFI members also visited the site of Kosovo A and Kosovo B power plants and they met with affected communities from the lignite power plants who had been displaced from their homes to meet the growing demand for lignite coal exploitation. This site visit shall enable better assessment of existing energy needs and social and environment concerns in Kosovo.

Through exchanging ideas and advocacy strategies, the participants stressed the need of reinforcing alliances within Central and Eastern Europe in order to achieve more effective common advocacy towards IFIs and other regional interests.

The issues addressed will be amongst the topics discussed both in the official meetings and the civil society events organised in Washington D.C. in mid October.

energjia.al, 13.09.2013