About: Just Transition Fund
Parliament votes to allow gas projects in the Just Transition Fund
Hours before the EU executive announced higher climate objectives for 2030, the European Parliament voted to allow funding for fossil gas projects under the bloc’s flagship Just Transition Fund.
EU institutions caught in crossfire over Just Transition Fund
The European Parliament will vote on Tuesday and Wednesday (15-16 September) on the Just Transition Fund. But this mechanism, initially designed to finance the social aspects of the transition to a low-carbon economy, has now been extended to finance gas projects. EURACTIV France reports.
MEPs warn of insufficient control over EU climate spending
The European Parliament rejected on Thursday (23 July) the hard-won decisions of the EU Council. MEPs criticised, among other things, cuts to climate programmes and voiced fear that billions of euros could fall into the wrong hands. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Workers’ involvement should not be ‘decorative’ in coronavirus recovery, expert says
If EU leaders agree on the EU's seven-year budget and the recovery fund on Friday (17 July), this could facilitate the transition to a more modern and greener Europe. But labour representatives also want to ensure that workers have a say in the entire policymaking process.
EU lawmakers divided over inclusion of natural gas in Just Transition Fund
The European Parliament's Regional Affairs Committee will vote Monday (6 July) on the EU's proposed €40 billion Just Transition Fund, which aims to support the bloc's 108 coal-producing regions in their transition to a low-carbon economy. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Housing’s role in Europe’s green transition
What investment could be wiser than one that protects the most vulnerable and contributes to climate change mitigation by decreasing our energy consumption? The Just Transition Fund must recognise housing as a cornerstone of the green transition, argue two leading MEPs and civil society leaders.
EU grapples with ‘regressive’ climate laws
Avoiding another “yellow vest” movement will be crucial for the success of the energy transition as Europe moves forward with a new wave of policies aimed at cutting emissions down to net zero by 2050, policymakers say.
EU ministers exclude nuclear, fossil gas from green transition fund
European Union countries agreed on Wednesday (24 June) that the bloc's flagship fund to wean regions off fossil fuels should not finance nuclear or natural gas projects, despite calls from some Eastern countries for gas to be eligible for EU funding.
The Just Transition Fund must reward climate ambition
The EU's Just Transition Fund must reward climate ambition and prioritise Europe’s coal communities where the cliff-edge is fast approaching, writes Niklas Nienaß.
Cohesion becomes central to EU recovery package
Through the new REACT-EU emergency instrument, cohesion policy will be one of the key elements in the European Commission's proposal for a recovery package, which takes into account that the impact of the COVID-19 crisis has been uneven across the EU.
EU boosts ‘just transition fund’, pledging €40 billion to exit fossil fuels
The European Commission has increased five-fold its proposed EU fund to wean carbon-intensive regions off fossil fuels, with fresh cash from a new recovery fund to help Europe's ailing economies rebound after the new coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 is testing the EU’s ‘Just Transition’ plan
As with all things, COVID-19 is shaking up the EU’s new long-term budget and the Just Transition Fund along with it. For coal dependent member states like Poland, catching up in the clean energy transition may be their only option to avoid losing the battle for EU funding, argue Rebekka Popp and Pieter de Pous.
Flanders chooses EU Green Deal as battleground between regions
Belgium will not join more than a dozen member states in insisting the Green Deal must serve as a basis for the coronavirus recovery, after a dispute among the three regional parliaments and the government nixed the chances of a common position.
Funding the Just Transition Fund: additional money is needed
PGE is ready to actively contribute to EU climate ambitions by investing heavily in low-carbon power generation technologies as evidenced by our investment plans. However, we will need adequate support in the process.
The EU 2030 climate target is tomorrow
The European Climate Law falls short of providing meaningful financial compensation for Member States with different starting points like Poland. This is a very unfortunate development at time when more unity and more solidarity are needed in the EU.
Green transition will require ‘Herculean effort’, EU admits
The European Union will need to “re-orient most, if not all” of its policies in order to protect vulnerable regions and workers in industries affected by the transition to a green economy, the EU Commission’s vice-president Frans Timmermans has said.
A European Green Deal with justness for all?
A fund originally conceived to convince Poland to sign up to the EU’s 2050 climate target has now turned into one of the most contentious aspects of both the Green Deal and the long-term EU budget.
Ex-boxer mayor seeks EU green funds to get Polish coal town off the ropes
As a teenager, Mariusz Wołosz was a promising boxer in Bytom in southern Poland, where his club was funded by one of the city's many coal mines.
EU’s just transition ambitions face acid test
The European Commission is due to release proposals this week to enshrine the EU's goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 into hard legislation. But concerns remains over the size of a fund aimed at making the transition smoother for countries heavily dependent on coal and other polluting industries.
Bulgaria wants €33 billion to start implementing the Green Deal
Bulgaria says it needs €33 billion to start meeting the main goals of the EU Green Deal over the next 10 years. The figure comes from government numbers seen by EURACTIV Bulgaria, which are yet to be presented to the European Commission.
Commission lists regions ripe for just transition cash
The European Commission revealed on Wednesday (26 February) which specific parts of the EU are eligible to split a €7.5 billion-strong climate fund, earmarked for spending on cleaning up heavy industry and supporting workers in the fossil fuel industry.
Michel offers flexible EU budget to convince sceptics
More flexibility within the Common Agriculture Policy and more money to less developed regions instead of a larger budget is what European Council President Charles Michel will offer to sceptic countries to agree on a new EU 7-year blueprint next week.
Just Transition Fund to deepen Belgian debate over regional disparities
While 0.9% (€68 million) of the EU's Just Transition Fund is designated for Belgium, European Commission criteria for the fund could turn into a "financial hangover" for Flanders, Flemish Environment Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) has warned, in a claim that threatens to deepen the debate about regional disparities in Belgium.