Building bridges for a just transition: Just4All’s final EU policy roundtable
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On 24 September 2025, we were delighted to bring together civil society from across Europe with EU policy-makers for the final EU policy roundtable of the Just4All project. The project explored the role of adult education and lifelong learning in advancing a just transition for all.
The event kicked off with opening remarks from the Secretary-General of the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), Raffaela Kihrer. This introduction highlighted the goal of the project not only to give people skills to engage in democratic processes which foster a just transition, but to equip people with the power and voice to face a changing political landscape.
MEP Victor Negrescu (S&D) then took the floor to deliver the keynote speech. The speech focused on the need to put people in the driver’s seat when it comes to the multiple transitions Europe is facing, and the outcomes of the Just4All project which put forward concrete means of achieving this.
Then, we heard insights from each of the national project partners in their contexts. These were presented by:
Xanthia Aristidou, CARDET, Cyprus
Lorraine O’Connor, AONTAS, Ireland
Jörgen Danielsson, ABF, Sweden
Océane Danieli, Ligue de l’Enseignement, France
The Just4All toolkit was presented by Angeliki Giannakopoulou, Senior Policy and Project Coordinator at EAEA. Then, the policy roundtable got underway. The discussion was moderated by Elisa Gambardella, Education and Lifelong Learning Coordinator at SOLIDAR, and heard inputs from:
Frank Siebern-Thomas, Head of Unit F.3 in DG EMPL working on Fair Green and Digital Transitions
Majda Richer, Projects and Research Associate, International Council for Adult Education (ICAE)
Gaetano Sciarotta, Policy Officer, SOLIDAR
Frank Siebern-Thomas reflected on how to disseminate the recommendations stemming from the project further and the need for consultation with civil society to reach target groups in social inclusion policies such as those addressed by Just4All.
Majda Richer spoke about the key role that partnerships play in advancing a just transition, and the need to harness partnerships to ensure civic education allows all voices to be heard as part of just transitions.
Gaetano Sciarotta finished by presenting the roadmap and recommendations which came our of the Just4All project, which target policy-makers as well as educators and civil society working on adult education and lifelong learning.
The event was closed by SOLIDAR’s Secretary-General, Mikael Leyi, who delivered a call to action to continue centring people – including marginalised groups – in our work to advance a just transition for all.
