The European Commission (EC) is to allocate €9 million for the Coal Sector Policy Support Program aimed at supporting the Ukrainian coal industry, an EC spokesman said at a press conference in the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Monday.
Accordingly, the EU-funded program for Ukraine, Coal Sector Policy Support Program, the goal of which is to support Ukraine in developing and restructuring its coal industry, will include five clauses - the institutional strengthening of the coal industry; a strategy for coal sector development (assessing mines' assets and elaborating a strategy for the development of the Ukrainian coal industry); social policies (the assessment of social and economic consequences of restructuring the coal industry, elaboration of a feasibility study for a Social Development Fund to support ex-miners); labor safety (analysis of the current safety system at Ukrainian coal mines and the development of recommendations for its improvement); and environmental issues.
The program is to be completed by the end of 2010.