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The letters OULU in pink in front of Tuira, each decorated in honour of the summer and the year of the Capital of Culture.

Front page › news › Up to EUR 119 million in JTF funding distributed in Northern Ostrobothnia

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21.12.2022

Up to EUR 119 million in JTF funding distributed in Northern Ostrobothnia

The European Commission has approved the actions of the Just Transition Fund (JTF) as part of the Renewable and Skilled Finland 2021-2027 EU Regional and Structural Policy Programme. At the same time, the Just Transition Plan for Northern Ostrobothnia was adopted, which defines the actions to be financed in the region.

The funding for Northern Ostrobothnia amounts to up to EUR 119 million, which is 20% of Finland's total JTF funding for the 2021-2027 programming period. Funding is provided by the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Northern Ostrobothnia. The call for applications will open in the EURA2021 information system in February-March 2023.

The JTF compensates for the negative socio-economic and environmental impacts of reducing the energy use of peat. The territorially just transition of phasing out peat will be supported by developing the region's livelihoods and SMEs, providing coaching for the industry's workforce and restoring safe production areas, among other things.

In Northern Ostrobothnia, JTF funding is allocated to four main areas: Development of RDI activities, development of SME activities, competence development and restoration and reuse of peat production areas.

Päivi Keisanen, Development Manager responsible for the preparation of the Northern Ostrobothnia plan, emphasises that the key is to develop the region's livelihoods in such a way that new jobs, companies and business opportunities are created in the region to replace jobs that are disappearing or undergoing a transformation.

The measures are mainly targeted at non-peat industries. Northern Ostrobothnia has a record amount of development funding available during 2023 and 2024 due to the frontloading of the funding, so I encourage the regional actors to actively develop their business opportunities during the coming year, Keisanen emphasises.

Just Transition Plan for Northern Ostrobothnia

About JTF funding in Northern Ostrobothnia

Additional information:
Regional Assembly of Oulu Region
Just Transition Plan: Päivi Keisanen, Development Manager, tel. +358 50 431 0605
JTF funding and projects: Heikki Ojala, Regional Development Manager, tel. +358 50 433 3951

 

 

Keywords:

JTF

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07.04.2022
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The proposal for a national programme for the EU's regional and structural policy, Finland's Renewable and Skilled 2021-2027, and the related environmental report have been sent for an open consultation. Opinions on the programme proposal can be given until 16 April 2021. The programme proposal includes actions supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). The programme will also include measures under the Just Transition Fund (JTF), which will be subject to an initial consultation in parallel. Statements can also be submitted until 16 April 2021. Funding for the programme consists of EU funding and national funding. In the programme proposal, the ERDF actions would contribute to the development of business- and working-life-driven research and innovation capacities of regions and businesses, digitalisation, sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs, energy efficiency, climate adaptation, circular economy and increased local accessibility. The programme's ESF actions would support employment, skills, the development of working life, inclusion and equality. The programme has a total of six priority axes: Innovative Finland Carbon-neutral Finland More accessible Finland Employable, knowledgeable and inclusive Finland Finland Combating material deprivation Finland The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia encourages municipalities, research and education organisations, organisations and communities in the region to provide feedback on the draft programme. The region of Northern Ostrobothnia makes significant use of EU regional and structural policy funds. The Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia has been leading the regional programme preparation for Eastern and Northern Finland since late 2018. Regional preparations have been made in a broad partnership with the Regional Councils of Eastern and Northern Finland, the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment and stakeholders. Proposal for a programme 2021-2027 11.3.2021 Opinions on the proposal for a programme can be submitted until 16 April 2021 at Neuvopalvelu.fi Opinions on the preparation of the Just Transition Fund can be submitted until 16 April 2021 at Neuvopalvelu.fi Further information: Secretary General for Regional Preparation for Eastern and Northern Finland, Päivi Keisanen, tel. +358 50 431 0606, firstname.lastname@pohjois-pohjanmaa.fi

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