Target areas: Municipality of Pljevlja, Montenegro; Municipality of Velenje, Slovenia. Potential topics to exchange on: (i) Local transition planning and stakeholder engagement; (ii) Energy efficiency; (iii) Land and infrastructure repurposing.
Target areas: Municipalities of Kakanj and Breza, Zenica-Doboj canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina; District of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. Potential topics to exchange on: (i) Land and infrastructure repurposing; (ii) Reskilling workers and employment creation; (iii) Responsive governance.
Target areas: Kolubara and Kostolac districts, Serbia; Jiu Valley region, Hunedoara county, Romania. Potential topics to exchange on: (i) Reskilling workers and employment creation; (ii) Social dialogue, partnership, and participation; (iii) Strategic project development.
Target areas: Municipalities of Bitola, Novaci and Kicevo, North Macedonia; Region of Western Macedonia, Greece. Potential topics to exchange on: (i) How to develop a regional strategy; (ii) Environmental rehabilitation measures + renewables development at old coal sites; (iii) Communicating the transition to and with citizens.
Target areas: Municipalities of Lukavac, Živinice and Banovići, Tuzla canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Ústí region, Czechia. Potential topics to exchange on: (i) Local authorities' role in the just transition; (ii) Business opportunities (e.g. RES, hydrogen, green/circular economy, industrial zones, tourism); (iii) Reskilling workers and longer-term education.
Target areas: Kosovo coal basin, Kosovo*; Upper Silesian coal basin, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. Potential topics to exchange on: (i) Management issues in post-mining/post-industrial areas; (ii) Working with stakeholders to develop a coherent transition plan; (iii) Transformation of a coal-based enterprise (mining, utility) into a RES-based operation.
Soaring energy prices and the war in Ukraine once again highlight that a major shift in the global energy system is needed – a transition that will bring clean energy to the forefront and that will be just for communities. Coal regions want to steer this change and define scenarios for their transitions themselves, as was proven by their active participation in our region-to-region exchange programme. From among 32 applications to the programme, 14 delegations were selected and paired up with one another to form 6 sets of exchange partners. Another 2 sets – each co-led by Ukrainian applicants – were foreseen, but to our greatest regret, these exchanges have been temporarily put on hold. In this issue, we introduce the current participants of the programme.
DUE TO RUSSIAN AGGRESSION ON UKRAINE (WHICH BEGUN ON 24.02.2022), ALL INTERNATIONAL ENERGY PRICES WENT UP. Prices for Euro 95, Diesel, Heating oil and LPG are rising again. Croatia relaxed its administrative price cap for Euro Super 95 and Diesel and was joined by Hungary from 15/11/2021 and Slovenia with price cap on Heating oil from 15/11/2021. Greece has floating Other indirect taxes that change every week. New VAT of 25% on all fuels introduced by Sweden from start of 2022. New excise taxes from start of 2022 enacted by Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. New Other indirect taxes enacted by Belgium, Latvia, Cyprus, Ireland, Hungary and Portugal. Poland reduced VAT to 8% and Slovenia reduced excise taxes from February. Spain and France introduced rebates on retail price up to 15% from April 1st. Italy increased temporarily Excise Duty to Gasoil and Carbon Tax to Gasoil & Fuel Oil from 1 May 2022. Sweden reduced excises on gasoline and diesel.
The winning entries in an EU-wide school video competition “Film4Energy challenge” on saving energy have been announced. The overall winner is the team ‘Act Green’ from the 5th Gymnasium in Kalamata (Greece), with four runners-up and one special prize.
The Clean energy for EU islands methodological handbook for islands is now available for islands in need for guidance in their clean energy transition. This Handbook is an action-oriented guide to help islands navigate the transition toward clean energy.
European Commission announces the 1st winning video, the runners-up and the special jury award video of the Europen school video competition "film4energy challenge".
The TRACER project is hosting an "Investors Workshop" to introduce identified R&I project ideas in nine coal regions in transition and the "Final Conference" to introduce the main results of the TRACER project in coal regions and will open the discussion with policy makers on the barriers, challenges, and opportunities. Click below for more information and registration.
The EU coal+ regions exchange programme (exchangeEU) enters its next stage and launches the first round of exchanges of 19 coal+ regions in transition, representing a total of 12 EU Member States. Over the next few weeks, the participants will collaborate closely to set up their agendas for study visits, while they are supported and accompanied by assigned exchange facilitators from the exchangeEU team.
Save the date for the upcoming Annual Political Dialogue of the Initiative for coal regions in transition on 7-8 July in Asturias, Spain. The event will feature high-level political discussions, roundtables of key just transition issues, discussions on the role of EU coal regions in a fast-changing energy world and how to make sure they thrive in new environments, and much more. Agenda and registration links will be made available soon.
Register now to the Just Transition Platform Meeting – Coal Regions in Transition virtual week and Carbon-intensive regions seminars, where we will discuss all things related to just transition, including updates on Just Transition Fund programmes, the role of youth in the just transition, updates from the Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition and the global dimension of the just transition. Click below to register.
DUE TO RUSSIAN AGGRESSION ON UKRAINE (WHICH BEGUN ON 24.02.2022), ALL INTERNATIONAL ENERGY PRICES WENT UP. Prices for Euro 95, Diesel, Heating oil and LPG are rising again. Croatia relaxed its administrative price cap for Euro Super 95 and Diesel and was joined by Hungary from 15/11/2021 and Slovenia with price cap on Heating oil from 15/11/2021. Greece has floating Other indirect taxes that change every week. New VAT of 25% on all fuels introduced by Sweden from start of 2022. New excise taxes from start of 2022 enacted by Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. New Other indirect taxes enacted by Belgium, Latvia, Cyprus, Ireland, Hungary and Portugal. Poland reduced VAT to 8% and Slovenia reduced excise taxes from February. Spain and France introduced rebates on retail price up to 15% from April 1st.
The Clean energy for EU islands secretariat has published its third Call for Postcards! Participants can submit pictures until 01 September. Send us your holiday photos from an island!
DUE TO RUSSIAN AGGRESSION ON UKRAINE (WHICH BEGUN ON 24.02.2022), ALL INTERNATIONAL ENERGY PRICES WENT UP. Prices for Euro 95, Diesel, Heating oil and LPG continue retreated after rising for two weeks, and the results are mixed. Croatia relaxed its administrative price cap for Euro Super 95 and Diesel and was joined by Hungary from 15/11/2021 and Slovenia with price cap on Heating oil from 15/11/2021. Greece has floating Other indirect taxes that change every week. New VAT of 25% on all fuels introduced by Sweden from start of 2022. New excise taxes from start of 2022 enacted by Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. New Other indirect taxes enacted by Belgium, Latvia, Cyprus, Ireland, Hungary and Portugal. Poland reduced VAT to 8% and Slovenia reduced excise taxes from February. Spain and France introduced rebates on retail price up to 15% from April 1st. Due to Easter holidays, next week we are not going to publish.
