Europe’s Coal Regions in Transition shape the future of clean energy

Building on nearly a decade of experience in helping coal dependent communities move toward a climate neutral future, the European Commission's Coal Regions in Transition (CRiT) initiative continues to support impacted regions.

Bringing together local, regional and national governments, businesses, trade unions, NGOs and academia, the initiative promote knowledge and best-practice sharing amongst regions to accelerate the phase-out from coal.

Since its launch, CRiT has played a crucial role in ensuring that no region, worker or community is left behind in the clean energy transition. It has strengthened regional strategies, improved engagement with citizens and helped to establish robust governance and transition planning frameworks for a transition away from coal.

The initiative will shape Europe'sclean and decarbonised economy, whilst strengthening competitiveness, by supporting a series of new activities for coal+ regions, comprising:

• research to better understand the coal phase-out status

CRiT will share updates on how coal+ regions are progressing towards phasing out coal. Specifically, research will highlight the current state of coal phase-out in affected areas. These findings will inform EU energy policies and support for coal+ regions.

• relaunch of the exchangeEU programme

Applications for the exchangeEU programme will open shortly, with the aim of fostering mutual learning and enhancing collaboration in coal+ regions. The programme will support regions as they navigate the challenges of the clean energy transition.

A call to join working groups will be launched in mid-2026. Building on lessons learned from the Working Group on District Heating Decarbonisation , new groups will be created to facilitate knowledge exchange amongst local and regional stakeholders. Topics will include clean energy, decarbonisation, coal fleet flexibilisation, the just transition and competitiveness.

• alignment with other EU local initiatives

Efforts will be made to align with other EU local initiatives, which are relevant to the transition of coal+ regions. Some examples include the Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, the Just Transition Platform, the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub, Net-Zero Europe, the EU Climate Pact and the Mission Implementation Platforms, to further support coal+ regions to move towards clean energy adaptation. The CRiT initiative will also continue to work closely with the TARGET technical assistance programme, implemented by the European Investment Bank, which supports regions to assess and improve their competitiveness.

CRiT events will offer stakeholders the opportunity to engage with policymakers and practitioners who are designing and implementing the transitions in coal+ regions. Already on 12 May, there will be an online session at the EU Sustainable Energy Days where CRiT will present its new activities and policy updates. Additionally, this year's gathering of practitioners and representatives from coal+ regions, organised in collaboration with the Research Executive Agency's (REA) Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS), will take place in Bochum, Germany on 29 and 30 September.

To stay up to date with the latest news and activities, you are welcome to sign up for the Coal regions in transition newsletter and follow #CoalRegionsEU on social media.