Western Macedonia, participating as a pilot Region in the European Initiative “Coal Regions in Transition Platform”, has been included, following its request, in the Technical Support package of the European Commission's Structural Reform Support Service (SRSS), in order to prepare as effectively as possible for the demands of the transition to a low lignite-dependent status.
In this context, a delegation from the European Commission and the World Bank visited the Region of Western Macedonia on 24 and 25 September to explore possibilities for collaboration and areas of interest for technical assistance.
Over the course of the two days, meetings and discussions took place with the Regional Governor of Western Macedonia, the Mayors of Kozani, Eordaia, Amyntaio and Florina, along with a guided tour and a meeting with executives of the Public Power Corporation (PPC) at the Western Macedonia Lignite Centre, as well as extensive meetings with regional stakeholders and the Region's Project Team for the transition.
The visit is characterised as particularly constructive for mapping out Western Macedonia’s course towards an economic model of low lignite dependence. Essentially, it marks the start of the most serious effort to address the problems in Western Macedonia arising from the reduction of lignite activity, aided by the technical support—beyond the local scientific workforce—of the European Commission with the assistance of the World Bank.
Closing the conclusions of the technical working meeting, the Regional Governor of Western Macedonia stated that, “Climate change brings us face-to-face with historic decisions that must be solid and provide prospects for the future of Western Macedonia, guided solely by the interests of its residents. We must work without political expediency, leaving it to you, the scientists and the people with the expertise, to work on providing us with the roadmap of actions for managing the transition and the proper restoration and utilisation of the land of the depleted lignite mines. Successfully addressing the problem is also a challenge for the European Union, which must take into account, within its proposed actions, the geostrategic position of Western Macedonia in the broader region.”
Note: From a Press Release by the Region of Western Macedonia