17/10/2019 (Agence Europe) – A group of 41 mayors from 10 coal mining regions in Europe called for a just transition to the "post-coal era" in a joint statement presented on Wednesday 16 October to the Deputy Director General of the European Commission's Energy Department, Klaus-Dieter Borchardt. "We know change is happening but we now need help from the EU", said Kamila Bláhová, Mayor of Litvinov (Czech Republic). Through this declaration, the mayors call in particular for appropriate mechanisms to be put in place at national and European level to strengthen the capacities of the coal mining regions and to ensure financial support for a just transition. While they welcome the proposal for a Just Transition Fund formulated by the future Commission, they stress the need for it to be "adequately funded and used for the support of local communities and the development of sustainable economic activities creation in coal and lignite mining regions". See the statement: https://bit.ly/2nOtQNU (DG)