European leaders will send an ambitious message for COP25 (Santiago, December) on Friday 18 October and confirm the EU's determination to lead the way towards a green, socially just and equitable transition in the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement.
However, not appearing in the text is any mention of the future Just Transition Fund for Europe, which is particularly dear to countries such as Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Any reference to the creation of this fund disappeared from the draft conclusions of 16 October, whereas the previous version underlined the interest shown by the Twenty-Eight in a proposal expected from the Commission (see EUROPE 12350/6).
NGOs had already welcomed this mention, while warning of possible pitfalls. While they welcome the allocation of EU funds "to support the transition to a net zero emission economy", they wonder whether the new Just Transition Fund will be funded by additional resources and will support real transitions.
"The Just Transition Fund to help the most polluted regions in their transition to clean energy, is good news, but must be additional to cohesion funds and really serve the people affected by the transition", insisted the NGO network CAN Europe on Thursday.
In addition, they argue that transitional funding should only be given to countries and to activities that accept and support a vision to fully decarbonize, rather than to greedy companies.
"Discussions about the size of a Just Transition Fund or the overall EU Budget should not overshadow a more important conversation about the quality of spending. EU leaders must ensure that local communities are involved in how any money is spent to ensure ownership of the long-term transition", said Raphael Hanoteaux of CEE Bankwatch Network. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)