On March 7^th, the rivers in the Balkans received a lot of attention in the European Parliament at the event “Save the Balkan Rivers: Resisting Hydro Power Plants in the Balkans & Albania”, organised by the Parliamentary Group “European United Left/Nordic Green Left” (GUE/NGL). People from all over the Balkans, and especially from Albania, raised their concerns about the hydropower expansion and the need to put an end to it.

++ Greater transparency still needed ++ The ‘Save the Blue Heart of Europe’ campaign gave a cautious welcome to a first-of-its-kind summit between the financial sector and green activists, where a roundtable about the role of banks in the destruction of Balkan rivers by hydropower dams was centre stage.

Last weekend, the project "Save the Blue Heart of Europe" was honored with an award: on February 22, Riverwatch employee Cornelia Wieser received the second environmental prize "Trophée de femmes 2019" for her work in the protection of Balkan rivers. The prize was awarded by the Foundation Yves Rocher in La Gacilly, France.

Yesterday, around 5,000 people took to the streets in Belgrade to protest against the sell-off of the rivers in Serbia, particularly against the planned construction of hundreds of hydropower projects. More than 850 hydropower plants are officially planned in Serbia, about 200 of which within nature reserves such as national parks, nature parks, etc.

 ++ The women left the bridge after more than 500 days and nights ++ Good news close to Christmas: on December 14^th, the people of Kruščica in Bosnia and Herzegovina won a crucial court case against two hydropower projects that were planned on their little river. The court stopped all dam plans.