Environment

In the controversial trial for the disastrous fire that destroyed the Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesvos, which ended with a conviction, the defence used new scientific data on the fragility of ecosystems to the threat of fire

Coal Mining Expansion Leads to Deforestation: Over 470 Hectares of Forest Cut Down in Gorj, Romania. At the same time, Romania has committed itself, through the NRP, to phasing out lignite and hard coal energy production and to the phased closure of mines by December 2032

With the funds allocated by cohesion policy, the EU has significantly increased investments in the production of renewable energy, thus providing significant help to member states in achieving decarbonisation objectives

Installing photovoltaic panels in condominiums in Romania can be a real challenge, given the difficulty of obtaining permits and authorizations. But to increase the impact of solar we must also promote a community attitude on energy and ecological issues

Romania produces more and more photovoltaic energy also thanks to the rapid increase in prosumers - consumers who resell excess energy from their panels to the grid. A virtuous process, but limited by long delays in payments and an unclear legal framework

A women's cooperative that serves as an information point for energy and climate issues: in 2023, KLIK received the European Commission's European Sustainable Energy award for developing an energy community in Croatia "that brings clean energy to citizens"

Thanks to the cohesion funds of the European SOLAR project, carried out in collaboration by Montenegro, Italy and Albania, measures to contain greenhouse gases and improve energy efficiency are being studied, with a view to the EU accession process

Considered sacred by the Egyptians, despised in modern times, today vultures are present in all Balkan countries as a fundamental element of ecosystems. However, their future is put at risk by poisoning, transforming them into collateral victims of conflicts between man and nature

The Greek region of Evros, devastated by fires last summer, is also the external border of the EU: there is a strong temptation to blame the fires on the migrants who cross it. Experts, however, point out the responsibilities of the Greek institutions

The exploitation of natural resources in Bosnia and Herzegovina causes indignation among citizens and numerous environmental protection associations. Geological research, the opening of new and the reactivation of old mines threaten basic human rights and the environment

The regions around Nagorno Karabakh are contaminated with thousands of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). An urgent matter, but demining takes a long time

In Romania, also thanks to dedicated European funds, the number of photovoltaic panels installed is growing rapidly. So quickly, that some programmes have been suspended, as the increase in energy production strains the distribution network, which is still obsolete

The region of Kassandra, Halkidiki, is one of the fire-prone areas in Greece. In the aftermath of the extreme weather phenomena that hit the country in the last months, a holistic approach involving prevention and civic education is now seen as necessary

Decarbonise, decentralise, democratise. These are the three Ds of a possible energy revolution that some citizens are carrying out on the Croatian island of Krk through the installation of many photovoltaic systems and the establishment of an energy community. An interview

The green transition is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Ukraine, however, not only has to decarbonize, but must do so amidst a war. Despite it, the country is already rebuilding and discussions about greening the economy are vivid

North Macedonia’s protected areas are of great ecological importance, but are increasingly exposed to the risk – among others – of fire. While political fragmentation and a shortage of personnel and resources pose considerable challenges, there has been significant progress. A report from the Šar Mountains National Park

EU investments aim to support the green transition of the Western Balkan countries, but criticism about the project types and the process remains

Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine led to a surge in forest and rural fires across the country. Combating them is all the more difficult amidst the war that binds all resources and unexploded mines that contaminate the territory

Among the effects of climate change are so-called extreme wildfires. In Croatia, large fires in open spaces present a particular problem. We met with the Croatian Association of Firefighters to find out how they are facing up to new challenges

To eventually access the European Union, the Western Balkans have to align their legislation with EU law. This includes the Green Deal, which commits countries to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, there’s still quite a long way to go for the Western Balkans in their progress towards the green transition

For the 2014-2020 programming period, the European Union allocated around 5.9 billion Euros under its cohesion policy to implement renewable energy projects. An overview of the data

Large carnivores are returning to populate more and more natural areas of the Old Continent: a success for the conservation of ecosystems, but also a cause of conflicts with the population. Coexistence is built by harmonising laws, good practices, and scientific knowledge. The Interreg LECA project moves in this direction

Last year Croatia’s coastal region was hit by an intense wave of forest fires, one of the worst in recent years. But the country has been gearing up to cope – partly thanks to EU funding.

Croatia's strategic goal is to clear the country of landmines by 2026, as foreseen in the National Demining Programme. A third of the remaining contaminated territory will be reclaimed thanks to European cohesion funds

In the Balkans, a region where energy is produced from fossil fuels or – when from renewable sources – from hydroelectric energy, energy communities are gaining ground: groups of citizens and small businesses that focus on self-production and self-consumption of renewable energy

Through entrepreneurial initiative, Ana and Jasmina have managed to bring back to life a story – that of river navigation – which involves different territories. The last episode of our report dedicated to the Kupa

In San Martino in Valle, on the island of Cres, the distillation of medicinal herbs boasts a centuries-old tradition. Today, it is kept alive by Irena and her husband Guerino

The warm season will be an opportunity to test the new infrastructures and strategies of an EU-funded project in the municipalities of Gorizia, Nova Gorica, and Šempeter-Vrtojba, a border area that conceives itself as a single, homogeneous territory along the river Soča

Few cities can boast of being crossed by four rivers. Karlovac is one of them. Kupa, Dobra, Korana, and Mrežnica. A river city that saw its golden age towards the end of the eighteenth century. Our reportage continues along the Kupa River

Energy communities are projects in which citizens associate both as producers and consumers of clean energy at a local level. There are already many of them, including in South-Eastern Europe. They could be supported by EU cohesion policy, but that is not the case yet