All timings are in Central European Time (CET)
For questions related to the programme of the event, please send an email to : events@coalregions.eu
This opening session will be dedicated to highlight the importance of involving stakeholders at the different stages of the work on just transition and to ensure that just transition policies are inclusive and tailored to the specific needs of each region.
09:30 – 10:00 Connection time for participants
10:00 – 10:10 Welcome and Introduction
10:10 – 10:25 Opening statement on stakeholder involvement in the EU recovery and just transition
10:25 – 10:40 Luc Triangle, General Secretary of IndustriALL
10:40 – 10:55 Vojko Obersnel, (HR, PES), Mayor of the City of Rijeka: Rapporteur on the Just Transition Fund (JTF) opinion, European Committee of the Regions
10:55 – 11:25 Discussion with participants
11:25 – 11:30 Concluding remarks
Interpretation will be available in: EN – BG – PL – DE – EL - ES
This session will officially kick off the Coal Regions in Transition Virtual Week! As well as providing updates from the European Commission on ongoing EU policy developments, we will also welcome newcomers to the initiative, hearing from several regions that just joined the initiative – from Poland and Bulgaria! To round off the session, recent updates on national transition processes will be shared with participants, including cases from Spain, Germany and Greece.
13:15 – 13:30 Connection time for participants
13:30 – 14:15 Updates on the Initiative
14:15 – 14:45 Q&A
14:45 – 15:00 Break
15:00 – 16:00 Presentation of the newcomers in the Initiative:
16:00 – 17:00 Presentation of national cases:
17:00 – 17:30 Q&A
All timings are in Central European Time (CET)
Interpretation will be available in: EN – UA
This session will be aimed at introducing the future initiative for coal regions in the Western Balkans and Ukraine to stakeholders of the EU initiative for coal regions. To do so, it will provide a snapshot on the coal transition process in the Ukraine, looking at progress since October 2019. The final roundtable will be used to have a dialogue on the cooperation between the EC and the different partners of the future initiative, providing insights on the role of each and the type of activities that will be proposed – as well as inviting EU regions to take part in them.
Session moderated by Anna Sobczak, Policy Coordinator for coal regions in transition in the context of EU Green Deal, DG ENER, European Commission.
10:15 – 10:30 Connection time for participants
10:30 – 10:40 Introduction
10:40 – 11:10 Snapshot on Ukraine
11:10 – 12:30 Roundtable discussion on the new initiative for coal regions in the Western Balkans and Ukraine
12:30 Concluding remarks
This session will introduce the challenges and opportunities for coal regions in transition provided by upcoming developments related to the hydrogen economy. The European Commission will introduce the EU hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe. Speakers from regions across Europe will take the stage to share their experience vis-à-vis novel hydrogen projects, including the Groningen hydrogen valley; a project representative in the framework of the Hydrogen 4 Climate Action program; and the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSO-G), to highlight the integration of hydrogen with existing natural gas infrastructure. This session will be also the moment for the Secretariat to collect feedback on the issue of hydrogen specifically in coal regions, which will be included in a dedicated toolkit.
10:15 – 10:30 Connection time for participants
10:30 – 10:40 Welcome and Introduction
10:40 – 10:55 Presentation of the EU hydrogen strategy and implication for Coal regions
10:55 – 11:10 Q&A
11:10 – 11:50 Value chain for hydrogen, infrastructure, clean hydrogen: the opportunities ahead
11:50 – 12:25 Poll and interactive discussion
12:25 – 12:30 Concluding remarks
During this session, the different streams of financial support available to just transition regions will be presented. Speakers from the European Commission, the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will highlight how they can assist regions to invest in the just transition.
13:30 – 14:00 Connection time for participants
14:00 – 14:10 Welcome and introduction
14:10 – 14:25 Keynote speech by Pierre Heilbronn, Vice President Policy and Partnerships, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
14:25 – 14:40 Simon Barnes, Director Advisory Services, European Investment Bank
14:40 – 14:55 Roman Doubrava, Deputy Head of unit Land Use and Finance for Innovation, DG CLIMA, European Commission
14:55 – 15:25 Q&A session with participants
15:25 – 15:30 Concluding remarks
Also focusing on the financial support to the just transition, this session takes a hands-on approach to financial assistance and will discuss how it can be delivered on the ground, with a specific focus on the role of National Promotional Banks.
15:30 – 16:00 Connection time for participants
16:00 – 16:10 Welcome and introduction
16:10 – 16:40 Presentations by National Promotional Banks:
16:40 – 16:55 Input from the private sector: how can National Promotional Banks support just transition projects?
16:55 – 17:25 Q&A session with participants
17:25 – 17:30 Concluding remarks
All timings are in Central European Time (CET)
In this session, the Secretariat for the Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition will give an update on its technical assistance programme (START). This will be followed by presentations on the trilateral cooperation between Czechia, Germany and Poland and a moderated discussion on transition success stories across Europe.
10:15 – 10:30 Connection time for participants
10:30 – 10:40 Welcome and Introduction
10:40 – 10:55 Updates from START
10:55 – 11:10 Update from trilateral cooperation
11:10 – 12:00 Regional transition success stories and good practices: lessons learned
This session is a follow-up to a series of presentations given in previous Working Group meetings on the topic of coal mine closure. This time, we will focus on the theme of environmental rehabilitation and circular economy, through the lens of several research projects. The Directorate-General for Research and Innovation will provide an overview of the upcoming budgeting period of LIFE and updates on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel. Three research projects will present their work and findings, providing insight on the research state of play linked to coal mine closure.
13:45 – 14:00 Connection time for participants
14:00 – 14:10 Welcome and Introduction
14:10 – 14:20 Scene setting presentation on future of the RFCS programme
14:20 – 15:15 Presentations:
15:15 – 15:30 Polling session and discussion
This session will aim at proposing examples/initiatives on skills/jobs and discuss the needs for trainings/reskilling in the context of the just transition and the green recovery. The discussion will be fed by insights from the Commission, a cluster, trade union representatives and from key sectors that are particularly affected by the green transition.
13:00 – 13:30 Connection time for participants
13:30 – 13:40 Welcome and Introduction
13:40 – 14:30
14:30 – 14:55 Interactive Q&A with participants
14:55 – 15:00 Concluding remarks
All timings are in Central European Time (CET)
This session will highlight the necessity to involve the youth in just transition policies. It will mention existing initiatives at the EU level for an active participation of young people in the efforts to mitigate climate change and will showcase some successful examples of youth engagement in various European countries and regions.
10:00 – 10:30 Connection time for participants
10:30 – 10:40 Welcome and Introduction
10:40 – 10:55 Presentation of the Climate Pact
10:55 – 11:10 Presentation of the project ‘Youth for a Just Transition’
11.10 – 11.30 Presentations of successful examples of youth involvement in the transition in Europe
11:30 – 11:55 Interactive Q&A with participants
11:55 – 12:00 Concluding remarks
Achieving a just transition where no region is left behind is one of the cornerstones of the European Green Deal. While the JTF is a key instrument in the EU’s ambition to become the first climate-neutral continent in 2050, it is part of a broader set of EU policies to support regions. In this session we broaden the scope of the discussion and focus on how cohesion policy can help regions to achieve the long-term environmental and climate objectives of the European Green Deal. It will include the launch of a report by the OECD on the role of regions and cities in managing sustainability transitions.
13:30 – 14:00 Connection time for participants
14:00 – 14:15 Introduction: Cohesion policy and European Green Deal
14:15 – 14:40 Presentation of the report ‘Managing Environmental and Energy Transitions for Regions and Cities’
14:40 – 15:20 Discussion with participants: how can cohesion policy help regions in the transition towards long-term environmental and climate goals?
15:20 – 15:30 Concluding remarks