Background information

The phase-out of lignite mining and the associated green transformation will pose major challenges for companies in the Rhenish mining area over the next few years. Business models, supplier structures and employee qualification requirements will all change, often requiring considerable operational adjustments. At the same time, structural change and digitalisation offer many companies the opportunity to make their processes more climate-friendly and resource-efficient or to tap into new growth markets. Against this background, a Territorial Just Transition Plan (TJTP) was set up and different measures included to support the region and the people affected by the coal phase-out.

Content of measure

Many SMEs lack the necessary resources, skills and/or awareness to manage the challenges they face due to the coal-phase out in Rhenish Mining area and create new opportunities. The so-called "Future Vouchers for the Rhenish Mining Area" target SMEs and start-ups and finance measures in four areas:

1. Grants can be used to hire external consulting on creating climate-friendly business models or business models that support resource efficiency, the green economy, or digitalisation. Applicants can be granted up to €720 per consulting day for a maximum of 15 days (up to €10,800 in total funding).

2. Funding can also be granted to hire new staff that supports the hiring company with the transformation. Depending on the new hires academic background, personnel cost of up to 60% can be financed with the voucher for a maximum of 2 years.

3. Grants can also be devoted to investing in transformation, focusing on energy/resource optimisation and digitalising operations and production (maximum funding: €2 million).

4. Grants can also be devoted to training or coaching employees supporting them during the change process. Up to €570 per day can be granted for a maximum of 15 days per year. Total funding cannot exceed €8,550. However, up to an additional €4,050 can be granted for staff leave.

The voucher specifically addresses SMEs with fewer than 250 employees and a turnover below €50 million per year or a balance sheet total of up to €43 million per year. To receive funding, applying companies need to be directly affected by the coal phase-out, to maintain or create jobs as part of its diversification process or are transforming their business model to exploit business opportunities in green transition markets and thus create new jobs.

Use of measure

No information.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Sector specific set of companies SMEs Start-ups	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Employers' organisations Company / Companies Local / regional government	European Funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Consulted	Consulted
Form	Direct consultation outside a formal body	Direct consultation outside a formal body

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Social partners jointly
• Main level of involvement: Regional or local level

Involvement

The design and implementation of the JTF in Germany and in the Rhenish Mining Area is embedded in national and regional measures which have been implemented since 2020 as part of the national strategy for a coal phase-out. This is also important in the context of the partnership approach. In June 2018, the federal government set up the Commission for Growth, Structural Change and Employment (Coal Commission) to develop a plan and date for a coal phase-out. The Commission consisted of 28 members including (sectoral) social partners and environmental organisations. On 16 January 2020, the so-called “coal compromise” was drawn up as part of a federal-state agreement on the coal phase-out. Part of the commission were the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier (ZRR), the employer organization Unternehmer NRW, the IHK NRW and the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND):

Views and reactions

The DGB asserted that it would be satisfactorily involved in implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the TJTP. Monitoring would be ensured through regular reporting in the Monitoring Committee. Regarding implementation, the Working Group on Individual Projects is composed of members of the Monitoring Committee. The DGB is represented there. The working group decides on individual projects by majority vote. As for evaluation, this would be ensured through the evaluation group, which is staffed with members of the Monitoring Committee. The representative of the local development agency ZRR (Future Agency for the Rhenish Mining Area) stated that they had not been formally involved in the design of the TJTP of the Rhenish Mining Area. However, the agency agreed with the JTF goals and main objectives for the area but criticized that the TJTP followed another logic than WSP. From the ZRR’s perspective, available funds should follow the same logic to support the goal of strengthening the region structurally. In terms of content, the BUND is not satisfied with the design of the JTF. Terms such as "sustainability" or "efficiency" are included in the TJTP. However, the two central demands of the BUND would have been ignored: the exit from the carbon-based economy in favour of renewable energies, and an end to land use and biodiversity destruction in favour of alternative landscape development. The BUND stated that already in the previous ERDF Monitoring Committee it has emphasised that the climate and biodiversity crisis must be the focus of the implementation of the future JTF.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

• 17 December 2024: Future Vouchers for the Rhenish Mining Area (MWIKE) (www.efre.nrw.de)
• 17 December 2024: Future Vouchers (Rheinisches Revier) (www.rheinisches-revier.de)