Ljubljana - The government adopted on Thursday a national strategy to phase out coal and restructure coal regions in line with the just transition principles. The document envisages that coal used for electricity production will be fully phased out by 2033 at the latest, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) said after the government session.

With a clear coal phaseout timeline, Slovenia can start drawing EUR 248.38 million it is entitled to from the EU's Just Transition Fund until 2027, UKOM said.

At the forefront of the strategy is a just transition of the country's two coal regions - Savinja-Šalek, which has a coal-fired power station TEŠ and a coal mine, and Zasavje, which no longer has any active mines or thermal plants.

Apart from the phaseout year, the document sets down the process of comprehensive social and economic restructuring of the two regions.

It identifies financial sources at national and EU levels for this purpose and the manner of management of the just transition process.

The strategy moreover defines key aspects of closing the Velenje coal mine, from the technical aspects to its impact on workers, the community and the environment.

It creates synergies between the two coal regions through joint projects and the transfer of good practice and experience.

The strategy can start to br implemented once the decision on its environmental acceptability, which was taken on the basis of a comprehensive environment impact assessment, becomes final.

UKOM said the adoption of the strategy was needed for Slovenia's energy transformation, and made a point noting it had been drafted in a bottom-up process involving a great number of stakeholders.