Nikos Mantzaris participated in an online discussion organized by SYRIZA -Progressive Alliance MEP Petros Kokkalis on Thursday, April 22, 2021 about the prospects in Greece’s lignite regions through the use of the resources of the EU Just Transition Mechanism as well as those of the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
The panel also included EPP MEP and rapporteur of the European Parliament for the Regulation for the Just Transition Fund Manolis Kefalogiannis, the Coordinator of the Committee for the Just Development Plan Kostis Mousouridis, the Governor of Western Macdedonia George Kasapidis, the former Mayor of Kozani Lefteris Ioannidis and WWF Greece Energy Policy Officer Dimitris Tsekeris. The discussion was moderated by the journalist of Chronos Kozani, Socrates Moutidis.
In his speech, Nikos Mantzaris described the efforts which took place in a spirit of national unity to change the allocation criteria for the distribution of the resources of the EU Just Transition Fund in the context of the negotiations for the corresponding Regulation. He also presented three specific proposals for increasing funding for the transition of Greece’s lignite regions. He then turned to the type of investments that should be funded by the Just Transition Development Program that is currently being developed and described specific ideas regarding the support for energy communities and the conversion of lignite power plants to renewables-based thermal storage facilities.
You can watch the entire event here
You can also watch Nikos Mantzaris’ presentation
