The debate on the future of Greece’s lignite regions is no longer only about the timeline for the operation of lignite power plants. It is primarily about whether these regions will continue to receive support from the EU Cohesion Policy beyond 2027. In an article published in Oikonomikos Tachydromos titled “Just Transition: The real battle begins now”, Nikos Mantzaris, Senior Policy Analyst and Co-founder of The Green Tank, highlights the importance of the decisions currently being taken at both European and national level for the new programming period 2028–2034.
As he points out, Greece must advocate for the continuation of a strong and distinct Just Transition pillar, ensuring that lignite regions can develop a new productive model and secure sustainable development prospects. At the same time, the new programming period provides an opportunity to improve the implementation of Just Transition, through greater involvement of local stakeholders in the planning and decision-making, better targeting of resources, and stronger technical support for potential beneficiaries.
The future of Greece’s lignite regions, Nikos Mantzaris stresses, will not be determined by the outdated “lignite or not” debate, but by the policy decisions taken today on the scale, targeting, and structure of funding for their transformation beyond 2027.
Read the full article, published on 29 July 2026 in Oikonomikos Tachydromos, on ot.gr [in Greek] here.
