Two Czech projects are awarded EU funding to develop social infrastructure in the Moravia-Silesia coal region

Two Czech projects have been awarded over € 2 million from the Public Sector Loan Facility (PSLF) to develop social infrastructure in the Moravia-Silesia Region. These initiatives will improve facilities for education, sports, public health and student housing, while promoting sustainability and social inclusion, thereby supporting fairness in the transition to a climate-resilient economy of a coal region.

Ostrava

The University of Ostrava is expanding its dormitory campus with a new 332-bed building, providing affordable student housing and supporting education and social infrastructure. Sustainability is central to the design, featuring smart solutions to lower energy and water consumption such as geothermal heat pumps, solar panels, a dichroic façade, high-quality insulation and a water harvesting system.

The project will help to retain local youth, attract students from other regions and abroad and strengthen the local labour market.

PSLF grant awarded: € 1.303 million.

Kravaře

The town of Kravaře is constructing a new energy-efficient multifunctional sports hall with 132-seat tribunes. The outdoor area, including a bicycle shed with capacity for 66 bicycles, will cover over 600 m².

The investment is expected to benefit more than 900 people, including students and staff of local elementary schools, local sports clubs, and the wider community through public events and tournaments.

These new facilities will contribute to promoting healthy lifestyles, strengthen community life and support sustainable mobility, while boosting the city's attractiveness for local entrepreneurship.

PSLF grant awarded: € 757 000.

About PSLF

The Public Sector Loan Facility (PSLF) is the third pillar of the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) - a tool of the European Green Deal Investment Plan to make sure that no one and no region is left behind in the transition to a climate-neutral economy.

The PSLF combines loans from the European Investment Bank (up to around €6-8 billion) with grants from the European Commission (up to €1.3 billion). The combined support is designed to mobilise additional investments for public sector entities in the regions most affected by the green transition as identified in the Territorial Just Transition Plans, to meet their development needs as they move towards a climate-neutral economy. Each Member State creates these plans to identify the challenges faced by just transition regions, along with their development needs and targets for 2030.

The combination of the European Investment Bank loan and the EU grant will help fund projects that do not generate enough revenues to cover their costs.

The PSLF is managed by DG REGIO and implemented by CINEA.

About DG REGIO

The Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO) is the department of the European Commission responsible for EU policies on regions and cities. It develops and carries out the Commission's policies on regional and urban policy. It assists the economic and social development of the developed and less developed regions across the European Union.

About CINEA

The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) is an Executive Agency established by the European Commission to implement parts of EU funding programmes for transport, energy, climate action, environment and maritime fisheries and aquaculture. CINEA aims to assist its beneficiaries, establish strong partnerships, deliver high-quality programme and project management, foster effective knowledge sharing and create synergies between programmes - to support a sustainable, connected, and decarbonised Europe.

About the EIB

The European Investment Bank (EIB) , whose shareholders are the 27 Member States of the European Union, is the EU's long-term financing institution. The EIB provides loans to the public and private sectors to support high-quality investments contributing to the achievement of the EU headline targets.

Visit the PSLF webpage on the CINEA website to find out more about the Facility and the projects it funds.