AHK Romania is a reliable partner for both the authorities and companies, in the attempt to transform the Jiu Valley, from a former coal region into a region where other less polluted industries can develop and bring prosperity. That was the message sent by the general manager of the German-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sebastian Metz, who opened the conference ”Structural changes and revitalisation in the post-mining era” that took place in Timișoara.

A step towards these transformations was the initiation of the business trip to the Jiu Valley, attended by German companies in the fields such as architecture, urban planning, consulting, mechanical engineering, painting and varnishing services, interior renovations.

The German delegation visited the mines in Petrila, Anina (decommissioned) and Lupeni (in operation) and met the local authorities. ”Following these visits and discussions we will see how the German companies can integrate into the transformation process and how we can strengthen Romanian-German relations to reach this goal,” said Metz.

Invited to a panel discussion within the conference, the local governor of Hunedoara, Călin Petru Marian, reviewed the economic situation of the county over the last 30 years, pointing out that thousands of jobs have been lost as a result of mine closures, which is why Hunedoara has one of the highest migration rates in the EU. „Germany went through this transition 30-40 years ago. I am glad that you come up with novel concepts of transformation and with ideas to integrate the existing population. Together with the local authorities you’ll be able to add value to the Jiu Valley and the whole Hunedoara county,” said Călin Petru Marian.

At the level of civil society, the Association Planeta Petrila works closely with the public administration, universities and other NGOs in Hunedoara county. The general secretary of the Association, Mihai Danciu, mentioned that there is a map of land available for investment in Hunedoara county, which includes all the necessary data for investors, such as prices, areas and legal status of land.

German solutions for the revival of the former mining areas have also been presented. Hans-Jürgen Best, former city manager of the Essen town, told the story of the coal mine industry in Zollverein, inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list in 2001. In one of his additional examples, river water was used to build and feed a lake, with a small harbour, around which modern houses were built, in another example, the gasometer was turned into an exhibition hall, and in another example, a 100-year-old hall became a concert hall for 3,000 people.

The challenge of these changes is however the safety of the areas, as Thomas Metschies from Wismut GmbH explained. He gave the example of the Türingen and Sachsen mine conversions: ”We were interested in stabilising the tailings heaps, treating the water, making sure that there is no danger there in the long term”.

The business delegation and the conference were organised by AHK Romania in cooperation with VDMA Mining, the largest association for machinery and equipment manufacturing in Germany and the Association of Raw Materials and Mining (FAB), on the behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, within the framework of the Market Development Programme.

Sorina Buzatu, PR Specialist, AHK Romania

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