In the past, brown coal deposits were of great economic value since they constituted a cheap and easily accessible energy source. Coal mining was an important source of development and employment. After the 1970s, however, many brown coal regions started to decline due to depletion of coalfields, environmental restrictions, and economic and technological change. These areas, many of which are Objective 1 regions, were left with a heavy burden of environmental degradation, economic decline and social problems. Overall objective / Objectif général de l'opération The operation “ReRegions - Reclamation and Utilisation of Brown Coal Mining Areas in Europe” focuses on creating a European partnership of the brown coal regions to support regional restructuring capacities. The operation aims at exchanging experiences and best practices to assist [...]

Recent years have seen a marked increase in cooperation between the public and private sectors in order to develop and operate municipal infrastructure and SME development. Such Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements are usually driven by limitations in public funds to cover investment needs but also by efforts to increase the quality and efficiency of public services. Nevertheless, the potential of PPPs remains often unexploited, due to a lack of awareness among public sector officials, insufficient project development, or limited implementation and management skills. Objectives The overall objective of the operation INTERCO-PPP ("Interregional co-operation for exchange of experiences and knowledge concerning Public – Private Partnerships") is to provide local authorities with the capacity to assess, design and implement PPPs in their fields of activity (e.g. energy, [...]