Local authority planning for a just transition: Why Western Balkan coal regions should create their own redevelopment plans and how it can be done

From December 2020 to December 2023, the European Union implemented its first Initiative for coal regions in transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine – an initiative due to be followed up in 2024. During this first period, the differences in the Western Balkans countries’ just transition processes increased.

This publication aims to help prepare municipal authorities for the transition by enabling them to do the preparation work themselves, thus ensuring that the process will be participatory and just for their citizens. Local authorities need to identify their own needs and can use some of the tools that were used by European Union Member States, including Territorial Just Transition Plans.