EU supports Ukraine on way to transform coal regions – EU representative

09:01
09.12.2020

The European Union is ready to help Ukraine in the transformation of coal regions, Minister Counselor of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Torsten Wöllert said.

“The EU is ready to help at this start together with the EU member states Germany, Poland. We will accompany Ukraine in this,” he said during the First German-Ukrainian Energy Day on Tuesday.

“We will try to ensure that the structural changes in coal regions are included in the European green deal. Since such a transformation is an important subject not only for the Ukrainian-German partnership, but also an important component of the ‘green’ course,” Wöllert said.

According to him, within the assistance to Ukraine, the European Commission in the near future, in particular, plans to come up with an initiative to support the coal regions of Ukraine and the Western Balkans, which consisted in the examination of transformation projects.

“The purpose of this is for the region to receive certain expertise and, on its basis, to carry out certain pilot projects,” said the EU representative, adding: “This is a joint initiative of the European Commission, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Polish partners.”

Wöllert believes to see the start of the first transformation projects soon.

As reported with reference to First Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Olha Buslavets, according to the draft concept for the transformation of the coal industry, all unprofitable mines in the country will be closed within ten years. In addition, in the coming years, subsidies to coal enterprises from the budget will be minimized.