"Ensuring a just transition requires genuine multi-level collaboration and continuous dialogue across sectors and regions," stated Sari Rautio, President of the EPP-CoR and moderator of today's Multi-Level Dialogue on Just Transition.
The European Committee of the Regions, in cooperation with the European Commission, hosted a significant event today dedicated to exploring strategies and effective measures to ensure a fair and equitable transition toward a climate-neutral economy across the European Union.
During the dialogue, keynote speaker Frank Siebern-Thomas from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Employment provided an insightful update on the European Fair Transition Observatory, emphasizing the necessity for detailed territorial assessments and granular data to support regions most impacted by economic and industrial transformations.
Addressing the Human Side of the Transition
The first panel specifically addressed the crucial issue of job market transitions, spotlighting successful regional examples and highlighting the essential role that local authorities and communities play in facilitating equitable outcomes.
From job losses in traditional sectors to the creation of quality opportunities in green industries, the speakers emphasized the need for cohesion between emerging initiatives such as the Clean Industrial Deal, Union of Skills, and the Just Transition Mechanism.
The panel underlined the importance of leveraging territorial impact assessments, granular data, and regional analyses to inform policies that work on the ground.
Planning Beyond 2027
In the second panel, participants turned their attention to the future: “Just Transition in the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)”. Keynotes and panel discussions explored how Just Transition can be structurally embedded into the upcoming MFF, with a strong call for a differentiated, place-based approach that actively involves local and regional authorities from planning through to implementation.
Speakers highlighted the need to address asymmetric territorial impacts, capacity gaps, and the ripple effects across entire regional value chains.
"Treating local and regional authorities as strategic partners—not just beneficiaries—is essential for a Just Transition grounded in shared management and multi-level governance," Rautio concluded.
A Call for Partnership and Forward Thinking
The event concluded with a call to build a territorial dialogue that brings together social partners and public authorities to design tailored, region-specific solutions. As Europe charts its path to climate neutrality by 2050, the decisions made today will define the social and economic fabric of tomorrow.
The Multi-Level Dialogue on Just Transition continues to serve as a vital forum for collaborative governance, strategic planning, and inclusive policymaking—ensuring no person and no region is left behind.