Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

▸4 unchanged paragraphs

on the role of cohesion policy in supporting the just transition

(2024/2121(INI))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty on European Union,

Changed– having regard to Articles 4, 9, 151, 153, 162, 174 to 178,178 and 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

Removed– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (Common Provisions Regulation),

Added– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility,

Changed– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/10582021/691 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2428 JuneApril 2021 on the European RegionalGlobalisation DevelopmentAdjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) and onrepealing theRegulation Cohesion(EU) Fund,No 1309/2013,

Removed– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1296/2013,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the Just Transition Fund,

Added– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1057 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1296/2013,

Added– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund,

Added– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (Common Provisions Regulation),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulations (EC) No 401/2009 and (EU) 2018/1999 (‘European Climate Law’), including a legal objective for the EU to reach climate neutrality by 2050, setting the intermediate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by 2030 compared to 1990 levels,

Removed– having regard to the Commission communication of 23 March 2024 on the 9th Cohesion Report (COM(2024)0149),

Added– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology manufacturing ecosystem and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 25 March 2021 on cohesion policy and regional environment strategies in the fight against climate change,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 20 May 2021 on reversing demographic trends in EU regions using cohesion policy instruments,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 7 June 2022 on EU islands and cohesion policy: current situation and future challenges,

– having regard to its resolution of 15 September 2022 on economic, social and territorial cohesion in the EU: the 8th Cohesion Report,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 23 November 2023 on job creation – the just transition and impact investments,

– having regard to its resolution of 23 November 2023 on harnessing talent in Europe’s regions,

– having regard to its resolution of 12 December 2023 on reshaping the future framework of EU structural funds to support regions particularly affected by challenges related to the automotive, green and digital transitions,

– having regard to its resolution of 14 March 2024 on cohesion policy 2014-2020 - implementation and outcomes in the Member States,

Change 1

Added– having regard to the Paris Agreement, adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in Paris on 12 December 2015,

Added– having regard to the Territorial Agenda 2030 – A future for all places, adopted at the informal meeting of Ministers responsible for spatial planning, territorial development and/or territorial cohesion on 1 December 2020,

Added– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 March 2021 on the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan (COM(2021)0102),

Added having regard to the Commission communication of 14 July 2021 entitled ‘“Fit for 55”: delivering the EU’s 2030 Climate Target on the way to climate neutrality’ (COM(2021)0550),

Added– having regard to the Commission report of February 2024 entitled ‘Forging a sustainable future together – Cohesion for a competitive and inclusive Europe: report of the High-Level Group on the Future of Cohesion Policy’,

Added– having regard to the Commission communication of 27 March 2024 on the 9th Cohesion Report (COM(2024)0149),

Added– having regard to the Commission communication of 26 February 2025 entitled ‘The Clean Industrial Deal: A joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation’ (COM (2025)0085),

Added– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2025 entitled ‘The Union of Skills’ (COM(2025)0090),

– having regard to the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions of 8 October 2024 entitled ‘A Just Transition for all EU regions’,

Added– having regard to the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions of 21 November 2024 entitled ‘A renewed Cohesion Policy post 2027 that leaves no one behind’,

Added– having regard to the report by Enrico Letta of 17 April 2024 entitled ‘Much more than a market – Speed, Security, Solidarity: Empowering the single market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU citizens’,

– having regard to the report by Mario Draghi of 9 September 2024 entitled ‘The future of European competitiveness’,

Removed– having regard to the Commission report of February 2024 entitled ‘Forging a sustainable future together – Cohesion for a competitive and inclusive Europe: report of the High-Level Group on the Future of Cohesion Policy’,

Removed– having regard to the European Committee of the Regions opinion of 21 November 2024 entitled ‘A renewed Cohesion Policy post 2027 that leaves no one behind’,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Employment and Social affairs (XXX),Affairs,

Changed– having regard to the report of the Committee on Regional Development (A10-xxxx/2025),(A10-0137/2025),

Change 2

RemovedA. whereas the ambitious goal of transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050 can give rise to opportunities as well as new challenges for regions which are adversely affected by this transition;

AddedA. whereas the ambitious goal of transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050 at the latest has the potential to generate substantial economic, environmental and social benefits, including the creation of new industries, job opportunities and improved quality of life; whereas, at the same time, this transition may also exacerbate existing disparities between regions, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations due to socio-economic factors hampering their ability to benefit from the transition, and create new vulnerabilities, particularly in regions that are highly dependent on carbon-intensive industries, including the coal regions;

Change 3

ChangedB. whereas the regions of the EU vary considerably in theirterms of socio-economic characteristicscharacteristics, with varying levels of development, infrastructure, demographic trends and labour market conditions, and it is clearevident that there is no one-size-fits-all solution thatcapable canof adequately addressaddressing their diverse territorialneeds; andwhereas socio-economicless needs;developed regions tend to suffer more from the transition, compared to more developed regions;

Change 4

RemovedC. whereas many of the industries hardest hit by decarbonisation had unfavourable working conditions and a dependency on seasonal workers who were seeking social justice before the transition;

AddedC. whereas disparities remain in the speed of the digital transition and connectivity across Europe, especially in rural and remote areas; whereas many affected regions lack basic infrastructure and essential services, which makes it difficult for them to attract productive investment that leads to sustainable economic recovery; whereas more investment is needed to accelerate the shift to sustainable and smart mobility and to modernise and diversify the infrastructure systems in order to enhance accessibility, promote innovation and support the transition to a greener economy; whereas cohesion policy should play a strategic role in bridging these gaps, promoting territorial cohesion and ensuring no region is left behind in the transition;

RemovedD. whereas the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) was to be a key tool in ensuring people living in territories affected by the shift to climate neutrality were not left behind; whereas it has delivered absorption rates of less than 5 % to date;

AddedD. whereas many of the poorest and most vulnerable regions are located in the eastern part of the EU; whereas the war in Ukraine has an additional negative impact on these regions;E. whereas the physical disconnection and isolation of islands from the mainland constitutes a permanent structural disadvantage that affects multiple aspects of economic and social life, including access to the labour market, education, healthcare, mobility and public services; whereas the limited territory of islands significantly restricts opportunities for professional upskilling and reskilling, thereby limiting workers’ ability to adapt to structural changes or sectoral shifts, such as those driven by the green and digital transitions; whereas, in many cases, this lack of alternatives forces workers to leave their home regions in order to access employment opportunities elsewhere, effectively undermining their ‘right to stay’ and contributing to depopulation and brain drain in insular territories;

RemovedE. whereas if not addressed adequately, former peat and mining regions risk becoming more economically inactive;

AddedF. whereas the EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) is, and should continue to be, an important tool in ensuring people living in territories affected by the shift to climate neutrality are not left behind and in contributing to the objective of enabling regions and people to address the social, employment, economic and environmental impacts of the transition; whereas the absorption rates remain too low at this stage of the programming period;

RemovedF. whereas the application process for the JTF must be simplified and made more flexible in order to maximise its use;

AddedG. whereas the transition to a low-carbon economy, the global climate crisis and environmental pollution, with their impact on food, education and health, also spell a crisis for children’s rights in the many different regions of the EU, and effective, meaningful measures should be taken to ensure that children and future generations grow up with dignity and are equipped for the skilled labour market of tomorrow;

AddedH. whereas recommendations to Member States for an overall, adequately resourced strategy to combat poverty and, in particular, family and child poverty in the EU, as well as policies and action for its implementation, promote a deepening of the internal market and progress in achieving economic, social and territorial cohesion, and support the Commission’s goal for a competitive and inclusive Europe of diverse regions;

AddedI. whereas Europe is currently experiencing labour and skills shortages, hampering the Union’s competitiveness, as identified by the Draghi and Letta reports; whereas strategic decentralisation of industrial and technological development and investment to regions affected by the transition can help to address such shortages, but requires sufficient investment in the accompanying public services and infrastructure such as housing, education and transport;

AddedJ. whereas many of the industries hit the hardest by decarbonisation faced unfavourable working conditions and a dependency on seasonal workers; whereas the green and digital transitions must go hand in hand with social justice; whereas just transition should help in addressing workplace discrimination, ensuring decent and quality working conditions, raising labour standards and ensuring effective safety nets and protection mechanisms for the workers whose jobs are affected;

AddedK. whereas tourism is a key sector of the EU’s economy, directly and indirectly contributing to over 10 % of the EU’s GDP, and plays a vital role in enhancing competitiveness, social well-being and sustainable job creation, particularly in regions heavily reliant on tourism; whereas tourism has the potential to contribute significantly to territorial cohesion, particularly in remote, rural, coastal, outermost and island regions, and can support economic diversification and just transition in areas facing structural challenges, population decline, or dependency on carbon-intensive industries; whereas the EU’s tourism industry, largely composed of 2.3 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), employs approximately 12.3 million people and represents a major economic activity with strong multiplier effects across various sectors; whereas cohesion policy should support sustainable tourism strategies as part of the just transition, fostering resilience, innovation and green and digital transformation in the tourism sector, while promoting inclusive growth and preserving cultural and natural heritage;

AddedL. whereas the EU, unlike its main competitors, is a world leader in emissions reduction, while tackling many challenges triggered by the complex global geopolitical and economic context;

AddedM. whereas the energy transition process should go hand in hand with economic competitiveness and whereas it is essential to protect the energy security of regions in transition;

AddedN. whereas nuclear energy is included in the green taxonomy and whereas, therefore, it contributes to the transition towards a decarbonised economy; whereas more investment in that energy form would help to achieve the EU’s strategic autonomy and carbon emission reduction goals; whereas, further, that energy source would be an effective replacement with regard to energy performance, job creation and economic growth in transition regions;