Shaping the future in the Rhineland mining area
Mining in the Rheinisches Revier (Rhineland mining region) will come to an end in 2030. This will bring about many changes. Those employed in lignite mining will have to look for new jobs. The same applies to people working in related areas such as power generation, combined heat and power, and supply.
Huge lakes will be created because the spoil still available is not sufficient to fill the abandoned open-cast mines. All this is described by the term ‘structural change’. Public funds are available for this change to help cushion the effects of the changes in a socially acceptable manner.
Participation in shaping the future
Against this backdrop, the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia decided on 16 September 2025 to establish a Citizens' Assembly for the Rhineland mining region. The mini-public offers residents aged 16 and over the opportunity to actively participate in shaping the future.
The Citizens' Assembly will consist of 100 citizens who represent the diversity of the population in the Rhineland mining region as closely as possible. This will be based on a sortition procedure using the population register. To this end, around 7,000 citizens from across the region will receive a letter in January 2026 asking them to apply for the mini-public.
Diverse composition
The Citizens' Ass mblywill be composed as diversely as possible in a stratified sortition procedure according to characteristics such as age, level of education, gender and geographical distribution in the region.
The specific issue to be addressed by the Citizens' Assembly is derived from the state government's ‘Rheinisches Revier Target and Milestone Plan’. It will be decided by a preparatory group in the first quarter of 2026. The preparatory group consists of eight members of the mini-public and eight representatives of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia. The topic will be selected from the future fields of innovation and education, energy and industry, space and infrastructure, or resources and agriculture.
Work of the Citizens' Assembly
The Citizens' Assembly will meet on three weekends in May, June and July 2026 in the Rhineland mining region and develop recommendations for action in moderated small groups. The recommendations will then be handed over to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, probably in autumn 2026.
The state government will review and evaluate the recommendations for action and then decide whether and how these recommendations can be implemented.
Background
The aim of the Citizens' Assembly is to systematically incorporate perspectives from the population, promote trust and make political decisions more transparent. The mini-public thus complements existing participation formats in the region.
The client for the mini-public is the Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier (Rhenish Mining Area Future Agency). The Future Agency is a key player in the structural change of the Rhenish Mining Area. It brings together regional interests, oversees the use of subsidies and develops regional strategies. It also provides information on funding opportunities, connects stakeholders and promotes the sustainable use of structural funds. The Zukunftsagentur is financed by shareholder contributions and state subsidies.
Rheinisches Revier
The Rheinisches Revier is a mining district in the Cologne Bay, on the north-western edge of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. Open-cast lignite mining has had a significant impact on the landscape here and led to the development of several important industrial sites. The district encompasses the Zülpich and Jülich plains, the Erft lowlands and the Ville. The Rhineland mining district is one of the largest lignite mining districts in Europe.