The European Commission approved this week the Territorial Plans for a Just Transition of the French region of Loire Atlantique and of Malta. They will receive €48 million and €25 million respectively from the Just Transition Fund (JTF).
While the Loire Atlantique region has one of the last coal-fired power plants in France, the approved plan aims to anticipate the social effects of its planned closure in 2026. It thus plans to support retention of the workers concerned and to encourage the creation of new businesses.
On the Maltese side, the territorial plan mainly targets the maritime sector. It focuses in particular on the decarbonisation of international ports (‘Grand Harbour’ and ‘Malta Freeport’) and the supply of electricity to ships on shore.
The JTF is intended to assist territories dependent on fossil fuels towards a climate neutral economy. The European Commission estimates that to date, about 1/3 of the Member States have adopted their territorial plans, a delay explained, according to the Commission, by the difficulty of territories to measure the social impact of the green transition (see EUROPE 13051/15). (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)