The « Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration » adopted at the Katowice’s Conference on December 2018 underlines the need to be aware of social consequences deriving from public policies aimed at fighting climate change. Every economic sector will undoubtedly be impacted; the energy sector will have to tackle the deepest upheaval ever in history.

The seminar will focus on electricity generation:

As a corollary to renewable energies’ development, many European countries have indeed decided to reduce their conventional park by closing nuclear power stations and coal-fired power plants.

Making this transition at social level successful is crucial for the European Union. In this perspective, the European Commission has launched a platform targeting coal-mining regions within the EU.

Confrontations Europe is willing to engage in the promotion of these initiatives by organizing a first seminar dealing with the following issues:

• What are the lessons to be drawn from the large scale industrial restructuring which already affected certain European regions in the past?
• How is the on-going or forthcoming transition managed in the regions affected by the closure of big power plants (e.g. in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, other countries…?)
• How to reinforce synergies between public measures (at communal, national and local levels) and stakeholders (local authorities, enterprises, consumers, employees)?
• What are the missions that could be assigned to electric sector operators (old and new stakeholders): vocational training, support to local subcontractors…?

Speakers :

– Anna Colucci, Head of Unit, retail markets, coal and oil, DG Energy, European Commission
– Dr. Marcus Wening, Director of  the Brussels Office of the representation of Brandenburg to the European Union (to be confirmed)
– Marcus Franken, Head of EU Representative Office, E.ON SE (tbc)
– Montserrat Mir Roca, Confederal Secretary, ETUC, (tbc)

This seminar will be held in english.