Community energy gathers momentum in Estonia
April 15, 2026
Community energy has emerged as a quiet undercurrent in Estonia, but has yet to firmly establish itself in the broader energy debate. Still, a number of pioneering communities across the country have already taken control of their energy production and consumption. Aiming to replace fossil fuels with cleaner and more affordable alternatives, they have adopted practical solutions that combine local needs, renewable energy and cooperative collaboration.
To be or not to be continued? Analysis of the Just Transition Fund implementation across six EU countries
April 15, 2026
Despite implementation challenges, the Just Transition Fund has delivered impacts that go beyond infrastructure and economic restructuring, supporting governance capacity, strategic thinking, and greater societal acceptance of change. This report, therefore, seeks to explain why continued and targeted support for regions in transition remains essential.
How a pioneering Slovak town is modernising its district heating system
March 17, 2026
With fossil fuel phase-outs underway across Europe, many municipalities must urgently find ways to replace their coal- or gas-based district heating systems. Several resources are available from the EU to help municipalities plan and execute their energy transitions. One town in Slovakia has used these tools to modernise its own district heating system.
Protecting the just transition in the EU’s proposed national and regional partnership plans
March 16, 2026
This briefing analyses the next EU budget proposal from a just transition perspective.
From just transition to competitive decarbonisation: What the EU’s new policy architecture means for regional cohesion
March 5, 2026
This report investigates the main objectives and instruments of this new policy shift and how it affects the EU’s just transition regions.
Citizens’ forums driving decarbonisation in central and eastern Europe: Lessons in public participation
February 25, 2026
Across nine countries in central and eastern Europe, citizens’ forums have been tested as practical tools for involving local voices in decisions regarding decarbonisation
RePowering the regions: How working groups can support local decarbonisation efforts
December 18, 2025
This briefing analyses the work of four decarbonisation working groups established in just transition regions in Latvia, Slovakia, Estonia and Hungary.
Bankwatch’s position on the Global Europe instrument
November 21, 2025
The proposed Global Europe regulation’s objective is to uphold and promote the Union’s values, principles and interests worldwide. However, while human rights, democracy and rule of law are mentioned in the text, the regulation does not provide sufficient mechanisms to advance these principles.
Adapting the Just Transition Mechanism to the needs of regions in transition
July 11, 2025
This discussion paper synthesises contributions from members of the Just Transition Platform’s ‘Future of Just Transition’ Working Group and other key stakeholders on the potential design of future support for a just transition in Europe.
From grassroots activism to fighting Goliath
June 2, 2025
From grassroots defiance to a force for accountability, Bankwatch’s story begins long before its founding in 1995. Amid collapsing regimes, our network channelled the energy of civil resistance into a brave new experiment in public oversight and transparency.
