Protecting the just transition in the EU’s proposed national and regional partnership plans

Briefing    |    13 March 2026

This briefing analyses the next EU budget proposal, particularly Heading 1 (National and Regional Partnership Plans) from a just transition perspective. Worryingly, the proposal lacks a dedicated funding stream to support the continuation of just transition in carbon-intensive mining and energy-producing regions.

Without a dedicated place-based financial instrument, the EU risks losing one of its most effective tools for ensuring that carbon-intensive regions and their workers affected by the energy transition are supported while the EU steers towards its decarbonisation goals.