Towards a Directive on Just Transition within the European Union? A Draft Proposal Exercise

The principle of just transition seeks to protect workers from the adverse employment and occupational impacts of industrial transformations driven by environmental objectives. This principle has gained traction in European Union (EU) law since the adoption of the European Green Deal, leading to the adoption of several legislative proposals anchoring this principle. However, the EU’s approach to just transition is largely fragmented, spread across various funding tools, policy guidelines, and sectoral regulations. More and more labour voices call for the development of a rights-based just transition legal framework. Against that background, this Working Paper proposes a draft for a Just Transition Directive within the European Union. This proposal aims to contribute to the scholarly dialogue and ongoing political debates surrounding the need for an EU normative intervention. It seeks to address the gap between principle and practice by formulating binding legal provisions capable of ensuring enforceable rights and obligations for workers and communities involved in the decarbonisation of the EU economy. This Working Paper does not claim to provide definitive normative answers but may hopefully serve as a platform for further dialogue and legal experimentation, contributing to a more inclusive and equitable EU transition towards climate neutrality.