Annual Political Dialogue of #CoalRegionsinTransition in Velenje
On Thursday, July 11, and Friday, July 12, Velenje, Slovenia, hosted the 5th Annual Political Dialogue of Coal Regions in Transition within the EU. This event, organized by the European Commission, the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development of Slovenia and the Municipality of Velenje, as part of the Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition, aims to foster discussion and collaboration among key stakeholders to support the EU’s efforts for a fair and sustainable transition away from coal.
High-level European political participants and officials discussed the challenges, best practices, and future directions for coal regions at a closed expert conference. Key speakers included Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal; Jan Kříž, Director General at the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic; Dr. Aleksander Jevšek, Minister for Cohesion and Regional Development of Slovenia; and Peter Dermol, Mayor of Velenje.
An exhibition in the cultural center lobby showcased best practices and examples of transitioning coal regions across the EU, including revitalized industrial sites and coal mines turned into business zones, energy sites, and also into cultural and industrial heritage locations.
Premogovnik Velenje (Velenje Coalmine) actively participated and contributed to this event. On July 10th, the guests were welcomed by the Director of the Velenje Coalmine, dr. Janez Rošer as they visited operating mine and the production area 500 meters underground. Conference was also followed by other site visits, among which was the visit of the Coal Mining Museum of Slovenia. Representatives from Velenje Coalmine emphasized the importance of research and transitional projects co-funded by the EU. They also highlighted the rich coal mining history and heritage, as the Velenje Coalmine will celebrate 150 years of operation next year, underscoring the importance of its preservation.
#FutureLowEmissionsIndustries #E3IndustrialTransformation #IndustrialTransformation
