Joint letter to Ministers calling for an EU policy framework for a just transition

To: Ministers of Economy and Finance, Ministers of Climate and Environment and Ministers
of Labour and Social Affairs of all Member States of the European Union
Cc: Permanent Representatives of all Member States to the EU

Brussels, 11th March 2024

Dear Honourable Ministers,
Dear Honourable Ambassador,

As you engage in discussions and decisions on the European Union's next political agenda, we, the
undersigned 21 networks of organisations from all EU Member States, representing and reaching
several million people in Europe, would like to draw your attention to the urgent need to prioritise a
fair and just transition, including through the development and implementation of an EU policy
framework for a just transition.

The EU is at a historic crossroads, with wars at its borders, rising poverty and shocking levels of
inequality, the erosion of public services at the heart of the social contract, and a cost of living crisis
exacerbated by high inflation. Meanwhile, extreme weather events are increasingly harming our
people, our economies and our public finances, underlining the scientific and political case for
ambitious climate and environmental action.

The next EU cycle can be about polarisation and growing disparities between countries, or it can
provide a vision built with and for the people of Europe. Simultaneously achieving ambitious climate
and environmental goals, promoting equity and fostering an economy that ensures the well-being of
all within planetary boundaries is the solution to the daunting and overlapping geopolitical, social,
economic and environmental challenges we face. This is precisely what a just transition policy
framework should be about.

The recently adopted European Economic and Social Committee’s Opinion on Advancing a European
Policy Framework for a Just Transition focusses on the benefits and opportunities of the green
transition and provides valuable guidance on the objectives, structure and content of an EU just
transition policy framework. In particular, we urge you to consider the following key components and
measures in the development and implementation of such a framework:

1. Adopt a holistic, cross-sectoral and coherent approach to policy-making for a just transition,
linking the economic, environmental and social dimensions of the green transition. This can be
done, inter alia, by adopting a whole-of-government approach in the institutions, strengthening
impact assessment requirements to thoroughly measure the likely social, distributional, health and
employment impacts of both climate action and inaction, establishing an EU Just Transition
Observatory and introducing a social dimension to the work of Climate Observatories.

2. Transition from an economy dependent on finite material resources to one of sustainable
prosperity. To achieve this, develop an ambitious EU strategy for the sustainable management of
resources and the reduction of demand for energy and other material resources, including final
goods and services, and adopt an EU Green and Social Deal that anticipates, plans and implements
the green transition in a transparent and participatory way, maximising its economic and social
benefits while ensuring that the necessary contributions are fairly shared across society.

3. Strengthen the European social model to protect the rights and well-being of workers (including
non-standard workers such as those in the gig and the care economy), people in vulnerable
situations (including racialised minorities, women and persons with disabilities) and other
marginalised communities increasingly affected by climate change, and to support them in the
process of economic transformation. This can be done, for example, by adopting a European
Directive for a Just Transition of the world of work through anticipation and management of
change; integrating the European Pillar of Social Rights into the European Semester through a
Social Convergence Framework; supporting social enterprises adapted to the specific needs of
disadvantaged workers; addressing skills shortages in critical sectors; adopting a holistic
approach to lifelong learning priorities and ensuring that learning, up-skilling, reskilling schemes
are accessible to all age groups, backgrounds and employment statuses; and providing access to
high quality, affordable and accessible services of general interest.

4. Mobilise adequate public and private investment for a just transition, starting with setting up
an EU financing strategy for a just transition with a new fund similar to Next Generation EU and
increasing resources for territorially targeted transitions such as the Just Transition Fund.
Moreover, ensure that EU fiscal rules allow Member States to allocate sufficient resources to
promote a just transition and meet EU objectives, align state aid and public procurement rules
with just transition objectives and the characteristics of all undertakings, and advance an EU
taxation agenda to raise the resources needed for the ecological transition, incentivise green and
social economic activities, and reduce wealth inequality.

5. Ensure social dialogue and collective bargaining, civil dialogue and the involvement of regional and local authorities in decision-making on just transition, including through support from
relevant funding mechanisms and capacity-building. Encourage the development of short and
long-term plans for a just transition at company level, of national and regional just transition
plans, and of just transition agreements at territorial level to revitalise affected areas, always with
the meaningful involvement of stakeholders. Revise the Regulation on the Governance of the
Energy Union and Climate Action and the European Climate Law to strengthen public
participation at all levels and build a broad societal consensus.

6. Provide public support for a considerable upscaling of social economy enterprises and
organisations and community-led initiatives that intrinsically combine social and environmental
objectives. These business models, which are at the forefront of re-dignifying the workplace
through their ethical and educational dimension, should become mainstream. Member States
should ambitiously implement the 2023 Council Recommendation on developing framework
conditions for the social economy, in particular the points calling for adapted regulatory
frameworks to support social economy entities in the circular economy.
 

We also believe that a policy framework for a just transition should consider the external impact of
Europe’s green transition, as well as its historical responsibility. We call on the EU to support a global
just transition that respects policy coherence for development, a human rights-based approach to
international partnerships, and a trade policy with high environmental and social standards, in order
to avoid the negative spill-over effects of Europe’s economic transformation in other parts of the
world, and to support partner countries in planning and implementing their own just transitions.

We urge you to work closely with other Ministers and Member States to put the development and
implementation of a strong policy framework for just transition at the heart of the EU agenda.
Building on the measures outlined in the EESC Opinion, we call on you to raise the ambition of the
forthcoming Environment Council Conclusions and other relevant decisions in the coming months.

Yours sincerely, 

Anne Van Lancker, President of SOLIDAR
Brikena Xhomaqi, Director of Lifelong Learning Platform
Chiara Martinelli, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe
Denis Stokkink, President of Pour la Solidarité
Ivonne Bojoh, Chief Executive Officer of Circle Economy
Judith Vorbach, Head of AK EUROPA and member of European Economic and Social Committee
Juliana Wahlgren, Director of European Anti-Poverty Network
Kim Smouter, Executive Director of The European Network Against Racism
Laura de Bonfils, Secretary General of Social Platform
Lucie Studničná, President of the Workers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee
Mark Martin, Executive Director CEE Bankwatch Network
Mary Collins, Secretary General of European Women’s Lobby
Neva Nahtigal, Director of RREUSE
Oliver Greenfield, Convenor of Green Economy Coalition
Patrick ten Brink, Secretary General of European Environmental Bureau
Patrizia Bussi, Director of ENSIE
Pegah Moulana, Secretary General of Youth and Environment Europe
Sophia Wiegand, Vice-President of Generation Climate Europe
Tracey Martin, Director of Quaker Council for European Affairs
Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Disability Forum
Wolfgang Teubner, Director of ICLEI Europe