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Energy

Coal regions exchange programme

Allowing regions in the Western Balkans, Ukraine and the EU to share knowledge on coal phase out and clean energy transition.

©Secretariat of the WBUA initiative

The coal region-to-region exchange programme 2022-2023 was an opportunity for regions to start direct, one-to-one dialogues, connect with different stakeholders, learn from each other and transfer knowledge. The possibility for regions to explore other regions’ experiences and reflect on their own challenges and developments helped to accelerate local clean energy transition.

In February 2024, the Commission published “Inspiring a just transition”, which synthesises insights gained from the programme. It highlights key lessons learnt in the coal regions and potential recommendations to support a just transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine.

Read or download the publication

Participating regions

The Commission received 32 applications from regions to participate in the exchange programme. Based on an assessment, selected regional delegations were invited to join the programme. The delegations included representatives of diverse stakeholder groups including local, regional and national authorities, energy companies, NGOs, trade unions and academia. Additional Ukrainian regions were invited to become a part of the programme in response to the specific needs of Ukrainian participants. 8 sets of exchange partners were formed, representing stakeholders from 22 regions in the Western Balkans, Ukraine and the EU.

  • Exchange 1

    Target areas:

    Kosovo coal basin, Kosovo*

    Upper Silesian coal basin, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland

    In-person visit: 12-14 July 2022.

    Topics in focus: regional and local transition strategies; repurposing of post-mining/post-industrial areas; transformation challenges of coal-based enterprises in mining and utility sectors; knowledge creation and partnerships for change.

    Related documents

  • Exchange 2

    Target areas:

    Municipalities of Lukavac, Živinice and Banovići, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Ústí region, Czechia

    In-person visits: 21-23 June, 7-9 November 2022.

    Topics in focus: rehabilitation and repurposing of mining sites; renewables and alternative energy solutions; economic diversification; just transition governance.

    Related documents

  • Exchange 3

    Target areas:

    Municipalities of Bitola, Novaci and Kičevo, North Macedonia

    Region of Western Macedonia, Greece

    In-person visits: 6-8 July, 12-14 October 2022.

    Topics in focus: strategy development; repurposing of mining sites; alternative energy solutions; smart agriculture for economy diversification and job security; communicating the transition.

  • Exchange 4

    Target areas:

    Kolubara and Kostolac districts, Serbia

    Jiu Valley region, Romania

    In-person visit: 19-21 April 2023.

    Topics in focus: reskilling workers and employment creation; social dialogue, partnership, and participation; strategic project development.

  • Exchange 5

    Target areas:

    Municipalities of Kakanj and Breza, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    District of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

    In-person visit: 29-30 May 2023.

    Topics in focus: land and infrastructure repurposing; reskilling workers and employment creation; responsive governance.

  • Exchange 6

    Target areas:

    Municipality of Pljevlja, Montenegro

    Municipality of Velenje, Slovenia

    In-person visits: 14-16 March and 19-21 September 2023.

    Topics in focus: local transition planning and stakeholder engagement; energy efficiency; land and infrastructure repurposing.

  • Exchange 7

    Target areas:

    Novovolynsk, Lytovezh, Poromiv, and Chervonohrad communities, Ukraine

    Małopolska and Silesia Voivodeships, Poland

    In-person visit: 4-6 July 2023.

    Topics in focus: economic development and job creation; land rehabilitation and infrastructure repurposing; strategy development and financing opportunities.

  • Exchange 8

    Target areas:

    Donetsk region communities, Ukraine

    Municipality of Saerbeck, Ruhr Metropolis, Germany

    In-person visit: 12-14 September 2023.

    Potential topics: transition governance, stakeholder engagement, district heating, integrated brownfield development, mine closure.

Timeline and results

Although all exchanges featured 1 or 2 in-person visits, regions truly solidified their relationships with eachother through interactions and discussions leading up to and following those visits. These relationships have led to fruitful cooperation even beyond the programme.

Exchanges 1, 2 and 3 took place in 2022. Their initial in-person visits took place in June-July, and the reciprocal visits happened in October-November. Packed agendas allowed participants to make the most of each other’s experience in working towards a just transition and the visits were a big success. Most importantly, they allowed for a joint reflection by participants from the Western Balkans and the EU on the crucial importance of a holistic and strategic approach when preparing for a transition. The visits thus became a powerful source of motivation and provided the practical knowledge needed to ensure a just transition.

The 2023 exchanges kicked off in March with a visit of stakeholders from Velenje to Pljevlja (exchange 6), and this was reciprocated in September. In-person visits in exchanges 4, 5, 7 and 8 took place in April, May, July and September 2023, respectively. Participants gathered valuable insights, met relevant stakeholders, and outlined possibilities for cooperation beyond the exchange programme.

Get an insight into the exchanges

To learn more about how the regions in the Western Balkans, Ukraine and the EU are working together towards a just transition, watch these videos featuring

  • the visit of stakeholders from Kosovo to Silesia in Poland (exchange 1)
  • the visit to Lukavac, Banovići and Živinice in Bosnia and Herzegovina by the delegation of the Usti region from Czechia (exchange 2)
  • the visit of Bitola, Novaci and Kičevo representatives from North Macedonia to the Western Macedonia region in Greece (exchange 3)
  • the visit of Kakanj and Breza delegates from Bosnia and Herzegovina to exchange with stakeholders in the Stara Zagora region in Bulgaria (exchange 5)
  • the visit to Velenje in Slovenia by the Pljevlja delegation from Montenegro (exchange 6)
  • the visits of stakeholders from Novovolynsk, Lytovezh, Poromiv, and Chervonohrad in Ukraine to Małopolska and Silesia in Poland (exchange 7)

Check out the Coal regions exchange programme’s past newsletters to learn more about regional delegations, participating stakeholders and agendas for in-person visits that took place during

Selection process details

Applications for the coal regions exchange programme was open from June to September 2021.

The 32 submitted applications speak to the active interest from the side of coal regions, with a very good geographic spread of applicants.

The applications were carefully evaluated by the initiative secretariat’s team of experts, and their assessments were further peer-reviewed. The best-scored applications were selected for participation in the programme. Based on the exact needs, interest and experiences of the selected applicants, the secretariat developed suggestions for match-making among delegations. These suggestions were further discussed with the selected applicants. In some cases, the evaluators highlighted complementarity among delegations and suggested they join forces, with one being a focal delegation and the other being a contributing delegation. After consolidating feedback of all involved parties, the above-presented sets of delegations were confirmed.

Exchange programme benefits

To enable a direct and beneficial exchange, participating regions were paired based on their interests and expertise.

As part of the programme, they benefitted from study visits, knowledge exchange, expert support, and other opportunities to share experiences.

Participating regions from the Western Balkans and Ukraine got tailored and specific input from experts supporting the exchanges. They also accessed advice from their EU pairs, as the EU regions shared their specific knowledge and good practices through hands-on learning opportunities offered within study visits.

Participating EU coal regions had the opportunity to reflect on their transition so far. Guided by expert input, they evaluated their own work with a view to map out next steps. The experts also gave further input on how the EU coal regions could achieve the identified steps and speed up their local just transitions.

The programme was also a networking opportunity, as the participants could access a network of regions from the Western Balkans, Ukraine, and the EU, as well as interact with the European Commission and the 6 other international organisations leading the initiative.

Related links

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.