As part of the implementation of the operation “Centre for Just Transition” in the Savinjska-Šaleška coal mining region, the Development Agency of the Savinjska-Šaleška Region appointed two working groups in April 2024: a group to draft proposals for the preparation of a law on restructuring and a group to draft proposals for the preparation of a law on the closure of the Velenje Coal Mine.

Yesterday, 15 May 2024, the regional working group met for the first time at the SAŠA incubator to formulate starting points and proposals for the preparation of a law on the restructuring of the Savinjska-Šaleška region. Representatives from various fields (local communities, the economy, the environment, culture, education, trade unions, non-governmental organisations, regional development and others) from across the region were appointed to the working group.

The task of the first meeting was to define the areas that should be addressed by the law. Participants considered questions such as what needs to be preserved in the SAŠA region, what the region needs or what needs to be established for its progress and development, and what would be good to discontinue in the region.

The aim of the working group is to prepare concrete starting points and proposals for the drafting of a law on restructuring, which will represent the voice of the Savinjska-Šaleška region and form the basis for the preparation of concrete solutions and incentives defined in the law, with the aim of ensuring a successful bottom-up approach. The group will meet again in June and will cooperate constructively with the group appointed for this purpose at the national level.

We will also invite all residents of the region to participate through various channels. They can already send their initiatives to cpp@ra-sasa.si.

Let us remember that for the region’s successful transition away from coal, it is necessary to adopt the two aforementioned laws at the national level as soon as possible, and that the state is already behind schedule with their preparation. Both laws need to regulate key areas of the region’s restructuring and the closure of the coal mine, with an emphasis on the principles of the just transition, and to secure the financial resources for implementation.

The activities of the Centre for Just Transition are fully funded by technical assistance from the Just Transition Fund.