Supporting a just climate transition in Slovakia

The European Commission supports Slovakia in setting out a strategy for a fair climate transition in the regions of Horna Nitra, Banska Bystrica and Kosice.

Context

The Horna Nitra region has a historical activity of production of coal which is used for electricity generation and district heating. The Slovak Government decided to phase out of coal by 2023 and commissioned an Action Plan that would provide concrete steps and solutions for the economic transformation of the region. In 2020, Slovakia started to prepare Territorial Just Transition Plans for Horna Nitra, but also for Banska Bystrica and Kosice. These regions are particularly vulnerable to the transition to a low-carbon economy. The plans are essential to be able to access funding from the Just Transition Mechanism, in particular the Just Transition Fund.

Support delivered

In 2018, the Commission started its support for the just transition by developing a strategy for the region of Upper Nitra to transition out of coal, including a wide consultation of stakeholders at local, regional and national level

Subsequently, the assistance to Slovakia continued in this area in 2020 to facilitate conversion and rehabilitation of land and assets (brownfields) in Upper Nitra.

In 2021, the Commission supported the preparation of the territorial just transition plan in Slovakia, specifically for the regions of Horna Nitra, Banska Bystrica, and Kosice.

Since 2022, the Commission is providing tailor-made technical support for the implementation of the Slovak territorial just transition plan.

Results achieved

The strategy for the region of Upper Nitra to transition out of coal, prepared with the Commission’s technical support, was adopted by the Slovak government in July 2019.

In 2022, the the Slovak authorities finalised their territorial just transition plan and submitted it under the Just Transition Mechanism.

Since 2022, the support is continuing to help identify and prepare quality projects to be funded by the Just Transition Fund and build the overall capacity of the Slovak administration to support the implementation of the Just Transition Mechanism.

More about the project

You can read the final report here: