In an interview to ERT Kozani, Nikos Mantzaris analyzed the consequences for Western Macedonia of the agreement reached in the recent EU Summit. Specifically, he commented on the cuts of the available funds for the Just Transition Fund from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Fund and the EU budget.
He noted that without a change in the allocation criteria of the Just Transition Fund, the available funds for the Just Transition of Western Macedonia, Megalopoli as well as the islands will be drastically reduced. He called on all actors, at the local, national and European levels, to coordinate and seek a change in the allocation criteria so that the coal phase out speed, the dependence on coal as well as the levels of unemployment in each region to be taken into account.
The interview was granted to journalists Antonis Mavridis of ERT Kozani and Sofia Zouzeli of ERT Florina on July 23, 2020.
You can listen to the interview (in Greek) or read a synopsis of what was covered (in Greek) here:
Ν. Μάντζαρης: Αρνητική εξέλιξη η μείωση των ευρωπαϊκών πόρων για την μετάβαση
