- Funding Programme
- Year
- 2024
Support to the implementation of just transition in Poland
This EU-funded technical support initiative strengthened the capacity of Poland’s Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and regional authorities to plan, coordinate and implement just transition measures. Through action plans and a stakeholder engagement handbook, it addressed post-mining land management, energy transition, socio-economic activation, and governance, helping regions adopt new procedures, improve institutional capacity, and progress towards a fair, climate-neutral transformation.
Context
Poland’s coal regions face intertwined socio-economic, environmental and governance challenges as they work to align with EU priorities under the European Green Deal, the Green and Digital Transition and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The move away from coal has highlighted institutional capacity gaps, degraded post-mining areas, labour‑market monoculture, skills shortages and weak stakeholder engagement. EU-funded technical support under the Technical Support Instrument was therefore crucial to reinforce multi-level governance, improve coordination and enable regions to respond more coherently to complex transition needs. Throughout implementation, the project also had to navigate legal ambiguities, limited data availability and uneven institutional readiness.
Support delivered
The project provided comprehensive support under the Technical Support Instrument to reinforce the institutional and administrative capacity of Poland’s Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and regional authorities. Delivered by a consortium of expert partner organisations, the support combined structured analytical work, extensive stakeholder engagement and targeted capacity‑building. Activities included fact-finding missions in each region, in-depth interviews with national, regional and local stakeholders, desk research, comparative analysis of international practices, and thematic workshops and peer‑learning exchanges. These activities ensured that guidance and methodologies were co-created with authorities, grounded in regional realities and aligned with national priorities.
Results achieved
The project delivered concrete, region-tailored outputs across four Polish coal regions. In Śląskie, it produced an Action Plan to improve the transfer and revitalisation of post-mining areas; in Małopolskie, an Action Plan supporting the development of energy communities; in Łódzkie, an Action Plan focused on the socio-economic activation of women and youth; and in Dolnośląskie, a practical Handbook strengthening stakeholder engagement. These outputs provided national and regional authorities with actionable guidance, clearer governance and procedural frameworks, and improved coordination mechanisms. Together, they are expected to accelerate implementation, enhance institutional capacity, and support more coherent, inclusive just transition measures on the ground.
Usefull links
Selected links to external websites publishing information on the project and its activities :
- Information about the project: IETU, Association of Mining Communities in Poland (SGGP), Association of mining communities in Poland
- Fact-finding mission and workshop with stakeholders in Zgorzelec: Official website of Zgorzelec city, Lużyce24
- Information about the consultation workshop in Bogatynia: Official website of Bogatynia city
- Information about the final event/dissemination workshop: OPZZ, District Labour Office in Zgorzelec, Marshall Office of the Łodzkie Voivodeship, Marshal Office of Dolnoslaskie Voivodeship
More about the project
You can read the documents related to the project here: