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July 2005
"What's New!" is a periodic update to keep you informed of the latest on the ECA Watch website. What's New! features a wide range of materials related to the reform of Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) including NGO publications and releases, news articles, commentaries and announcements about the policies and practices of ECAs and ECA-financed projects world-wide. If you would like to receive "What's New!" simply add your e-mail to the ECA-Action list at www.eca-watch.org today! Questions? Email info@eca-watch.org
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1) |
Talking Export Credits at the European Commission: |
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A. |
Introduction by FERN |
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B. |
ECAs and Human Rights |
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C. |
ECAs and Corruption |
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D. |
ECAs and Transparency |
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E. |
ECAs and Renewable Energy - the Question of Guidelines for Hydropower |
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2) |
Sudan: Update on the Merowe/ Hamadab Dam Project |
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3) |
Chad-Cameroon Pipeline: Ongoing Damages, Inadequate Compensation |
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4) |
Building a Profitable Airline is Not Easy, But ECAs Help |
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5) |
Decroire (Belgium) Support for Tanzanian Arms Factory Denied Again |
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6) |
NGOs Mobilize to Stop Ilisu Dam (Again!) |
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View Back Issues of What's New |
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1. |
Talking Export Credits at the European Commission |
| June 22, 2005 (Source: ECA Watch) — Today the ECA Watch campaign participant FERN organized a meeting with the EU's Council Working Group on Export Credits in Brussels. Civil society representatives highlighted four key issues. Their presentations are outlined below. |
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A. |
Introduction by FERN [PDF] |
| Judith Neyer introduced the ECA campaigners and the issues to be discussed. |
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B. |
ECAs and Human Rights [PPT] |
| Fraser Reilly-King of the Halifax Initiative, Canada, made a 10-slide PowerPoint presentation on why ECAs should be examining the human rights implications of their export credits and insurance, and made suggestions on how they could take better account of human rights. |
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C. |
ECAs and Corruption [PDF] |
| Dr. Susan Hawley of The Cornerhouse, UK, presented a brief on combatting bribery in export credits, with an agenda for 2005. |
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D. |
ECAs and Transparency [PDF] |
| Regine Richter of Urgewald, Germany, presented a brief on transparency and how a changing legal and political framework places new obligations on export credit agencies. |
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E. |
ECAs and Renewable Energy - the Question of Guidelines for Hydropower [PPT] |
| Dr. Ute Collier of WWF-UK made a 12-slide PowerPoint presentation on a role for ECAs in promoting good practice for hydropower. In addition, the IUCN [PDF] and Professor Ted Scudder have made representations to the OECD Working Group on Export Credits concerning dams, the World Commission on Dams and renewable energy subsidies. |
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2. |
Sudan: Update on the Merowe/ Hamadab Dam Project |
| July 6, 2005 (Source: IRN) — The Merowe/ Hamadab dam is the largest hydropower project that is presently being developed in Africa. The International Rivers Network and Cornerhouse summarize the responses to their report on the Merowe Dam Project in Sudan published in early May 2005 and other recent developments. The main funder of the project is the China Export Import Bank. |
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3. |
Chad-Cameroon Pipeline: Ongoing Damages, Inadequate Compensation |
May 19, 2005 (Source: Fondation Camerounaise pour une Action Rationalisée des Femmes sur l'Environnement [FOCARFE], Cameroon) — One year after the Chad-Cameroon Pipeline's opening, numerous claims from affected populations continue to arise. The treatment of pending claims in the villages for non-functioning mills, wells, projects never built, schools incomplete, drugs never supplied, sacred and archeological sites defiled is a damning tale of broken promises by the project funders, which included ECAs COFACE and the US Export Import Bank. This May 2005 Cameroonian NGO report highlights these broken promises.
 Also read the BIC/CIIR report "Chad's Oil: Miracle or Mirage? Following the Money in Africa's Newest Petro-State," February, 2005. |
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4. |
Building a Profitable Airline is Not Easy, But ECAs Help |
| July 2, 2005 (Financial Express) — A recent airshow in Paris saw a number of large aircraft orders from India, both from established airlines such as Jet and newer entrants. This has naturally elicited a substantial amount of interest in the area of how aircraft purchases are financed. Longer term aircraft financing typically involves export credit agencies (ECAs), as outlined in this article. |
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5. |
Ducroire (Belgium) Support for Tanzanian Arms Factory Denied Again |
June 23, 2005 (Source: Le Gouvernement Wallon, Belgium) — The Belgian
Government of the Walloon Region
has revoked the export license of arms company New Lachaussée to build an ammunition factory in Tanzania; the Belgian ECA Ducroire will not be extending export credit insurance to the deal. In late 2003, Ducroire authorized cover for a USD $8.8M ammunition factory in Tanzania; both international and Belgian NGOs (Pax Christi Flanders and Proyecto Gato) successfully used a petition and phone-call action to oppose its participation in supplying arms to the embattled Great Lakes region of Africa. The project, then blocked, was revived in early 2005. An export license was approved and Ducroire reactivated the insurance. Belgian NGOs (11.11.11, Broederlijk Delen, CNAPD, MIMISA, Pax Christi Flanders, Proyecto Gato, among others) again forced the Belgian Walloon Government to suspend the process. Now the government and the company have decided to give up on this project.
Read the original June 23rd Walloon government act suspending the New Lachaussée license.
Also read a related March 2004 What's New Item - Arms Deal Blocked. |
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6. |
NGOs mobilize to stop Ilisu Dam (Again!) |
June 2005 (Source: Friends of the Earth, UK) — Friends of the Earth UK has again mounted a letter-writing campaign to stop the Ilisu Dam in Turkey. After a successful campaign by NGOs, Balfour Beatty pulled out of the controversial project. However, the German company Siemens has now shown an interest in taking on the project and has bought the Austrian company VA Tech - the only non-Turkish company involved in the project.
Also read a related item in last month's What's New. |
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