Experts Warn of Funding Gap for Polish Regions Transitioning from Coal

A critical funding gap looms for Polish regions transitioning away from coal, as current EU support from the Just Transition Fund is set to expire in 2027. Experts and local authorities are raising alarms because the proposed EU budget for 2028-2034 lacks a specific financial mechanism to continue this support, despite the transition process being only halfway complete.

Poland, which hosts the largest number of coal-dependent regions within the European Union, is particularly vulnerable. For years, EU funds have enabled these regions, including Silesia, Eastern Wielkopolska, and the Bełchatów subregion, to invest in new job creation outside the coal and energy sectors. The abrupt end of this funding could jeopardize the progress made and leave communities struggling to find alternative development paths.

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The clock is ticking, and in 2027, funds from the Just Transition Fund, which currently support Polish coal regions in their move away from coal, will run out.

In response, the Association of Polish Green Networks, along with representatives from affected municipalities and organizations, has penned a letter to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and relevant ministers. They are imploring the government to adopt a firm negotiating stance within the EU budget talks and actively campaign for a new, dedicated support mechanism. The signatories stress that without such a tool, Poland risks abandoning ongoing initiatives, wasting previous investments, and eroding public trust in areas undergoing profound economic and social change.

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The concern of local governments is fueled by the information that the proposal for the new European Union budget for 2028–2034 lacks a separate financing mechanism for the just transformation of coal regions.