With the release of „Research Fund for Coal and Steel: A Summary of the findings of the coal research technical groups: 2024“ the EU Publications Office has highlighted the impact of key research projects on the transformation of European coal regions. The report analyzes 29 projects with a total budget of €79 million and shows how research is making concrete contributions to a climate-neutral future and strengthening regional resilience.
Notably, the FZN projects CoalHeritage and GreenJOBS are cited as examples with particularly high impact for implementing the European Green Deal and the Just Transition Mechanism. Overall, FZN is involved in 9 of the 29 analyzed projects, underscoring our active role in the European transformation process.
The publication was presented at the European Commission in Brussels and emphasizes the growing political significance of research topics such as the reuse of former mining infrastructure, methane emission reduction, ecological restoration, and sustainable mine water management. The report not only highlights past successes but also identifies key areas of action for shaping structural change in Europe.
These Europe-wide research projects provide important impulses for further European dialogue on the future of (former) coal regions. Against this backdrop, a High-Level Event of the Research Executive Agency which will be hosted by the Research Center of Post-Mining on 29th of September 2026 at the German Mining Museum in Bochum (Germany).
The event series is one of the central strategic dialogue formats of European research funding, regularly bringing together high-level representatives from the European Commission, national ministries, research organizations, industry, and regional transformation stakeholders. The focus is on political perspectives, strategic priorities, and how research findings can be effectively translated into concrete actions and sustainable regional development.
The planned event in Bochum will particularly address the topics identified in the current RFCS report as critical for the future of coal regions: the environmental consequences of coal phase-out, the reuse and ecological restoration of mining sites, sustainable water management, and the international exchange of experiences and solutions.
In this way, the European dialogue continues on how research, policy, and practice can jointly contribute to a successful transformation. The projects highlighted in the current publication make an important contribution to this dialogue and also provide a content foundation for upcoming discussions at the European level.
