site.btaLocal Authorities in Coal Regions Rely on Industrial Zones as Opportunity for Just Transition

Kyustendil Deputy Mayor Nikolay Dochev said during a forum on the economic transformation of the coal regions that opportunities are being sought for the development of the region using EU funds.

"These projects will use innovations and will be friendly to environment. Kyustendil prepares changes to the spatial plan for the construction of a high-tech industrial zone. It will give opportunities to people from the region who are looking for work. The main task of the municipality is also to help the children of the people who remain without work after the closure of the enterprises. ”There are financial instruments that can help us implement various projects," said Nikolay Dochev.

An international forum, entitled “Just Transition Opportunities Beyond Borders”, takes place at the Expo Hotel in Sofia and is part of the "Transition of Opportunities" project, which aims to promote the contribution of the EU Cohesion Policy, the Just Transition Fund and the EU Recovery Plan to ensure a smooth and just transition to a climate-neutral economy.

Pernik Deputy Mayor Stefan Krastev, said that “we cannot expect welfare if we use outdated technologies”. “We have a new industrial zone in the municipality and a road link is being built to it. We also have an excellent partnership with the municipalities of Breznik and Bobov Dol in implementing joint projects in transport. We have installed hydrogen installations on buildings that use fuels such as gas oil,” said Stefan Krastev. “We can be a good model for the development of cities in Bulgaria,” he said. “We also remember what the air quality was like and what water flowed in the Struma River in the previous years,” the deputy mayor said. Talking about taking care of people and unemployment, I think people should get support on the ground. Let's not forget that we currently have historically low levels of unemployment - for the municipality of Pernik unemployment is below 2%, Stefan Krastev said.

“When inevitable changes are coming, we wait until the last moment, thinking that they will elude us. But there is no such thing, the green transition is inevitable,” Krastev added.