Local, but European. Practical, but inspiring. #HotlineCohesion brings you the most interesting youth opportunities linked to EU Cohesion Policy.
The Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a unique fund within the EU’s cohesion policy that provides targeted support, both geographically and thematically, to regions that are most affected by the green transition. Compared to other more general cohesion policy funds then, the JTF offers more specialized assistance to specific regions in need. Romania, Poland, and Germany are the top three member states that will benefit from this funding.
For example, Romania’s Territorial Just Transition Plans have been approved, covering six counties, and will receive EUR 2.14 billion for reskilling and economic diversification measures. In Slovakia, the approved plans come from the regions of Upper Nitra, Košice (one of our *YOUTHopia Regions), and Banská Bystrica, which will receive EUR 459 million for projects focused on reskilling, new job opportunities, or energy efficiency measures.
What the commissions and other expert actors have been vocal about in this latest programming period is that, in order to make these investments sustainable and place-based, partners and stakeholders need to be involved in the planning phase, as well as in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the programmes and spending.
The Partnership Principle Means Listening To All Voices.
The EU’s requirement that governments put the partnership principle into practice within the just transition process is particularly crucial for central and eastern Europe. It forces authorities to consider the voices of those who were previously marginalized or ignored ( such as economic and social partners, NGOs, and local representatives). While progress remains slow, it is happening.
One of the recent attempts to increase participation in the just transition process is the public hearing held for Eastern Wielkopolska, Poland, at the beginning of 2022. The hearing was organized by the Polish Green Network, the National Federation of Polish NGOs, and the Agency of Regional Development in Konin. Through a variety of conferences, meetings, workshops, and media presence, local people have become aware of the European funds available for the transition process. However, for many, these are still distant and vague promises, as for instance many voiced their uncertainty that financial support would arrive in time and provide solutions to their most pressing problems.
Youth And Women At The Core Of Any Strategy.
Therefore, a partnership-based approach that respects the needs of the place and the people who inhabit it is essential. To keep stakeholders engaged, the process must be made available and practical, letting them voice their concerns, enabling them to look for support but also for community-based solutions and cross-sectoral approaches to overcoming obstacles.
Finally, a just transition is one that takes into account the voices of young people and what they consider a place suitable for their future (clean air, jobs and social interactions as well as cultural opportunities among others) and the voice of women. Too often marginalised in the transition talks, “women are just as much a part of the transition process in the region as men are, and without recognition of the challenges they face, it will never be a truly just and equal process” (quote).
See you next week at #HotlineCohesion
The Youthopia Project is co-funded by the Directorate General for Regional and Urban policy (DG REGIO) of the European Commission.
