Interview | The Green Deal will create 1 million new jobs by 2030

Andriana Sukova is the Deputy Director-General responsible for Funds, Just Transition and Analysis at the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at the European Commission.

Ms. Sukova is an economist by education, with extensive experience in both governmental and non-governmental sectors dating from Bulgaria's integration into the European Union.

Today we are talking to her about the international conference "Just Transition in Stara Zagora"  - Jobs in the Context of Transition, and Good Practices for Up/Reskilling.

Ms. Sukova, what are the main challenges ahead for the European Commission in ensuring a just transition for regions dependent on the coal industry?

First of all, I must note that Bulgaria, the European Union and the whole world are facing the challenges of the digital and green transition. Whether we like it or not, new technologies are entering our workplace and our lives, changing the way we work and what professions we practice and will practice. Man-made climate change is a scientifically proven fact, and it is already affecting Bulgaria, including in the form of human casualties and economic losses from floods, fires, and extremely high temperatures. The transition to a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy is inevitable, but at the same time, some sectors of the economy, regions, enterprises, workers, employees and communities are more severely affected, especially those related to the coal industry.

The main challenge for regions dependent on coal is to address job losses in the coal sector and to create new and quality jobs in new sectors. Studies show that the green transition will create more jobs than it will destroy. We expect that by 2030, over 1 million additional jobs will be created thanks to the initiatives included in the European Green Deal, not only in the sectors driving the green transition but also in administrative and support sectors, legal, accounting and consulting services, computer programming and information services.

Another major challenge is the mitigation of negative impacts on communities living in coal regions. The changes can have significant social impacts, beyond loss of income, such as changes in community identity. Supporting community development and ensuring social cohesion are crucial.

In short, the challenges are both economic and social in nature.

Tell us briefly how your EC Directorate-General supports the just transition process.

As I have noted, the green transition will create new opportunities for quality jobs. At the same time, the changes will lead to finding clean energy alternatives and building other sustainable industries in the affected areas. There will be a need for financing and significant investments, including in the workforce in the region. Opportunities will also arise for new economic activities in coal regions, for example, related to the reclamation of mines and tailings ponds. All these challenges and opportunities will require a set of measures that must be complementary.

The Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, together with other departments of the European Commission and notably in partnership with central and local governments, as well as workers' and employers' organizations, other non-governmental organizations and local communities, supports the preparation and financing of many of these measures. EU funds and national implementation programs can be essential instruments for this.

New job opportunities will also require the acquisition of some new skills. Retraining and upgrading the skills of workers in coal-related industries will be one of the main measures to prepare workers for new jobs. One of the instruments that can help is the European Social Fund+ through the national Human Resources Development Program 2021-2027. In addition to funds for acquiring new skills, the European Social Fund+ also provides opportunities for support for starting new businesses and creating jobs, career guidance, and social cohesion. I will give as an example the measures aimed at vulnerable groups (such as young people, people with disabilities, and inactive people), where, thanks to operations financed by the Fund since the beginning of the new programming period, over 40,000 people have been covered by activation measures, or have received support to prepare for or start work.

It is important to clarify that the European Commission works together with the competent Bulgarian authorities on the implementation of the European Social Fund+. The Fund is subject to shared management, which means that both the European Commission and national authorities in the EU countries are responsible for the implementation of the programs financed by it. In practice, the Bulgarian authorities choose which projects to finance and are responsible for their day-to-day management. In cooperation with Bulgaria, the Commission ensures the monitoring of the results achieved, the successful completion of the projects and the appropriate spending of the funds.

DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion is also leading the management of the Social Climate Fund. The measures under this fund are yet to be rolled out, but the main objectives are to support vulnerable households and small businesses directly affected by the additional requirements to reduce emissions from buildings and transport. This will reduce energy poverty and transport poverty, reduce energy costs for heating buildings, and enable the creation of quality jobs and more accessible and non-polluting transport. Bulgaria is about to prepare its national climate plan, which will include measures and investments to address the impact of carbon prices on vulnerable households, vulnerable micro-enterprises and vulnerable transport users. The draft plan must go through a mandatory public consultation, and I take this opportunity to call on everyone to actively participate in its discussion.

In addition to these opportunities, the European Union provides Bulgaria with other instruments and sources of funding, which are the core competence of other Directorates-General, but some of which my Directorate-General also works on. Some of the important instruments are the Cohesion Funds: the European Regional Development Fund, the EU Just Transition Fund and the Cohesion Fund, as well as the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

I will briefly mention the financial resources that the European Union provides, part of which can be used to support the just transition and prepare for the new challenges facing workers. The Social Climate Fund is planned to have a maximum budget of EUR 65 billion (with national co-financing of over EUR 86 billion), and nearly EUR 2.5 billion will be available for Bulgaria. The Just Transition Fund has a total budget of EUR 19.7 billion, with almost EUR 1.2 billion allocated to Bulgaria. The European Social Fund+ allocates EUR 100 billion to support better education, and a more efficient labor market, including skills acquisition, and social inclusion, of which EUR 2.62 billion for Bulgaria.

Last but not least, I would like to mention two initiatives presented by the Commission this month (March 2025). The first is the creation of the Union of Skills, aimed at tackling labor and skills shortages across the EU. This ambitious plan will boost investment in lifelong learning, skills retention and recognition of different types of training, helping citizens to work seamlessly across EU countries.

The new European Clean Industrial Deal and the Affordable Energy Development Plan were also presented earlier this month. Faced with high energy costs and fierce global competition, European industries need urgent support. The Clean Industrial Deal outlines concrete actions to make decarbonization a driver of growth for European industries. This includes lowering energy prices, creating quality jobs and enabling companies to thrive.

What are the most effective retraining and upskilling models, implemented in other countries, that can be adapted to Bulgaria?

In the European Union, there are already examples of successful transitions in regions where coal mining was the main industry. For example, in Poland, we have “Job after Coal” – an operation implemented by trade unions and the ZE PAK Group (the largest energy company in Poland). That project started at the end of 2023, and 2,200 employees will benefit from the support. The total budget is €60 million (70% is co-financing from the Just Transition Fund). ZE PAK Group employees are provided with a sum of money that can be used by an employer who hires them after they lose their job. The funds can be used to cover the costs of wages (approximately 2/3) and equipment for the new workplace and training (approximately 1/3). Employees can also use the funds provided to them under the project to set up a business.

However, I do not think that there is a ready-made solution that Bulgaria can simply implement. An analysis should be made of the opportunities for the development of new economic activities, the need for infrastructure and, last but not least, the available skills of the workforce in the affected regions. I am confident that workers in the coal and energy industries have skills that will help them in mastering new professions or help them continue to work in the same sector by producing clean energy, or why not - start their own business.

In this regard, the Human Resources Development Program is already implementing the operation "Addressing the Challenges of the Labor Market", which includes a study to identify and map the available skills and development attitudes of 15,100 employees in thermal power plants and coal mines in the regions of Stara Zagora, Kyustendil and Pernik. The operation is being carried out with the participation of the two national trade unions. This is the first important stage in the preparation of workers for reskilling and retraining so they can find a new job.

At the end of 2024, an operation co-financed by the Just Transition Fund with a budget of over 55 million euros was opened for applications. This money can be invested in the training and reskilling of workers in the sectors most affected by the transition to climate neutrality in Stara Zagora, Pernik and Kyustendil. The aim is to prepare workers for their transition to alternative jobs, including for the development of local entrepreneurship.

What are the sectors and industries that could provide new jobs for people affected by the coal transition in Bulgaria?

This is a question that can best be answered by the relevant Bulgarian authorities, which prepared the just transition territorial plans, as this depends largely on the specifics of the region and the vision for its development.

The analyses done concerning the European Green Deal show that the initiatives included in it could create over 1 million jobs in the EU by 2030, the majority of which will be jobs that require medium-level skills and will provide medium-level pay. At the same time, the sectors in which the bulk of the jobs related to the green transition are expected to arise are construction, transport, the circular economy, including waste management, renewable energy, electricity, architecture and engineering.

For a just transition to happen, it is very important to have a long-term vision for the development of the affected regions. Such a vision is the product of in-depth discussions with all stakeholders, especially local authorities and social partners.

How do you assess Bulgaria's readiness to implement effective policies for retraining and employment transition? Do you have a specific view of the Stara Zagora region?

I would not like to make preliminary assessments, especially considering that some of the measures are in the initial stages of implementation, and some are even yet to be launched. For the moment, I can note both positive and negative trends.

On the one hand, we can see the efforts of the Bulgarian authorities and especially the Managing Authority of the "Human Resources Development Program" (2021-2027) in preparing and launching operations supporting the training of employed, unemployed and disadvantaged people. These trainings are provided both by the Employment Agency and by employers. We hope that these efforts will continue and that new initiatives will be added and deployed, especially for measures that have serious potential such as individual training accounts. The Managing Authority of the Regional Development Program (2021-2027), which also manages the Just Transition Fund, has launched important upskilling and retraining measures, which will be of key importance for the three regions, including Stara Zagora.

On the other hand, there has been a delay in the approval of the three territorial plans and the launch of the Just Transition Fund measures – and this needs to be compensated. Likewise, the low levels of participation in training courses in Bulgaria, as well as the low levels of digital and green skills (skills related to the ecological transition) are of serious concern. Taking into account the poor performance of the education system here, we can conclude that Bulgaria faces serious challenges when it comes to updating the skills of its workforce. This means that Bulgaria is in immediate need of a skills development strategy and concrete measures for its implementation.

It is also important to change attitudes in Bulgaria regarding lifelong learning.

Last but not least, I must point out the need for clear and reliable information for those most affected by the green transition, not just about its consequences, but also about the opportunities that are opening up, with the support of the European Union.

The implementation of effective retraining and employment transition policies in the three regions cannot happen without the active participation of local authorities, social partners, educational institutions and all stakeholders.

What is your advice to workers and companies in regions in transition – how should they prepare for changes in the future?

I will refrain from giving advice, but I will note that the green transition is also a transition, or even a revolution, in skills. It will affect, albeit to varying degrees, all workers and employees, at all levels of qualification, in all economic sectors and professions. What will be key to the success of the transition is training and lifelong learning. I hope that in the coming years, Bulgarian citizens and businesses will realize the importance of regular participation in training, reskilling and upskilling courses.

For its part, the European Commission, together with the Bulgarian authorities, will continue to work to ensure that there are sufficient funding and training opportunities. This is why the current Commission will focus on creating a Union of Skills, aimed at tackling labor and skills shortages across the EU. This ambitious plan will stimulate investment in lifelong learning, skills retention and recognition of different types of training, helping citizens to work seamlessly across EU countries.

What is the importance of events, such as the International Conference "Just Transition in Stara Zagora": Jobs in the Context of Transition - Good Practices for Up/Reskilling?

We live in times when, thanks to new technologies, we are flooded with information. Unfortunately, this information is not always accurate or presented in an accessible way. Events such as the “Just Transition in Stara Zagora” conference provide Bulgarian citizens, social partners and non-governmental organizations with the opportunity to receive information supported by facts and in-depth analysis. It also provides an opportunity to hear different points of view and proposals, which is extremely important. We also have the opportunity to learn what is happening or has happened in other countries facing similar challenges, to get acquainted with successful solutions and see the results.

Co-Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Managing Authority. Neither the European Union nor the Managing Authority can be held responsible for them.

Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov