Phasing out coal and actively tackling climate change do not stop at national borders. This is why international cooperation is also being stepped up in these areas. The exchange with international partners also plays a decisive role for Lusatia in particular.
First of all, there is a central contact point to promote the exchange of knowledge and experience between the 41 European coal regions. This is the EU Coal Platform, founded in Strasbourg in 2017. One important result of this initiative is the ‘Annual Political Dialogue’ conference, which took place this year in Velenje, Slovenia. Sven Tischer, advisor to the State Chancellery of Brandenburg, represented Lusatia there. 170 participants travelled to the event to gain valuable insights and share their knowledge. The main goal: to jointly develop and implement solutions for a sustainable future. This is how Lusatia presents itself in Europe.
Velenje is located around 70 kilometres north-east of the provincial capital Ljubljana. After the Second World War, Velenje became a modern industrial and mining town. Today, like Lusatia, the region is facing major challenges as a result of the planned coal phase-out. There is talk of creating 5,000 jobs and building 400 flats. ‘It's fascinating, because Velenje's structural change is like a blueprint for Lusatia,’ says Sven Tischer. He continues: ‘There are a lot of similarities. In general, the efforts to establish energy security, the search for storage options and the energy optimisation of buildings. And then we also face a similar challenge of creating new jobs and at the same time providing a corresponding social infrastructure for the population. Nursery schools and social housing are also important issues there, as is the development of leisure activities in their region. It is precisely this triad between economic development, securing skilled labour and the social attractiveness of the region that unites us.’
That's the big difference between Lusatia and Slovenia
Compared to Lusatia, however, Velenje does not have the same financial resources at its disposal. Lusatia benefits from considerable federal funding through the Coal Regions Investment Act: about 10 billion euros are available for Lusatia in Brandenburg alone. In a European and international comparison, it is striking how unique this financial support is and what added value it offers for the development of Lusatia. Velenje in Slovenia, for example, has to work with far fewer resources, which has an impact on the speed and diversity of realisation.
This can also be seen in public relations work, for example: ‘In Slovenia, it is a major challenge to gain the trust of the public and educate them about the change. We have the same goal, which is why we have the image campaign ‘Die Lausitz.Krasse Gegend”. But in the Valenje region, it is more difficult to get the public on board because there are far fewer financial resources and players available there,’ says Sven Tischer. This situation clearly illustrates the important role played by financial support for structural change in Germany. The Structural Reinforcement Act creates the opportunity, which gives Lusatia a considerable advantage compared to many other countries.
Best practice examples: geothermal energy, Chesco and medical training
At the conference in Velenje, various countries presented practical examples of how they are tackling the transformation. Topics such as impoverishment and rising housing and energy costs were discussed. In addition to the professional input, contacts were made and synergies established - which is essential for the implementation of structural change projects.
Sven Tischer reports on how Lusatia has already been able to establish links with countries such as Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, France and northern England through such events. ‘Our aim is to establish contacts with similarly structured regions in order to jointly analyse what we do differently, better or worse and to exchange ideas.’ The Polish city of Konin, for example, is very advanced in the use of geothermal energy. In 2023, a delegation from Lusatia visited the city to gather initial impressions on site. In the future, mayors could also travel there and exchange ideas in order to promote the topic in their own city.
The exchange with Estonia is also particularly topical. Oil shale has been mined and utilised on an industrial scale there for decades. In May 2024, Lusatia Commissioner Dr Klaus Freytag and Sven Tischer travelled to the city of Tallinn to discuss the transformation of mining regions on site. These joint topics reinforce the importance of dialogue in order to jointly develop solutions and successfully shape structural change at European level.
What the exchange shows for Lusatia
A comparison with other countries shows one thing time and again: things are progressing well here in Lusatia. Major projects such as the opening of the new railway plant, the Chesco research factory and the founding of the Medical University of Lusatia are astonishing the whole of Europe - and these are just three examples of 76 IMAG-approved projects to date. And the trend is rising.
