Multi-Level Public Investment Management for Sustainable Regional Transformation: Territorial Disparities in the EU’s Just Transition Mechanism

The European Union’s Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) is a public investment instrument aimed at supporting territorially differentiated pathways toward climate neutrality. The study aims to analyse territorial disparities in the implementation of the European Union’s JTM and to interpret these differences through the framework of multi-level public investment management. The study examines key dimensions of implementation, including territorial disparities, differences in instrument uptake, and temporal relationships between commitments and socio-economic outcomes. Methodologically, the research employs a comparative analytical approach based on the analysis of secondary EU data and programme sources. The empirical analysis focuses on NUTS3 transition regions under Territorial Just Transition Plans. The results indicate substantial cross-country variation in the territorial coverage of the mechanism and in the mobilisation of its three financial pillars. The implementation structure remains strongly dominated by grant-based financing, while the uptake of non-grant instruments remains uneven and relatively limited. The analysis also identifies time lags between commitments, payments, and socio-economic indicators. By linking public investment management with sustainability transitions and territorial resilience perspectives, the study contributes to understanding how sustainability objectives are translated into territorially embedded investment practices within the EU.