RUSE

Redirecting Urban areas development towards Sustainable Energy

From 2004 onwards, the Structural Funds (SF) are available in the new member states (NMS) and one of the main challenges we are facing is to use this new opportunity in the most sustainable way, especially regarding energy issues which are a full component of regional development. On the other hand, experience has already been gained in the former EU-15, including both good and bad practice.

With the financial support of INTEREG IIIC the “RUSE” operation aims at “Redirecting Urban areas development towards Sustainable Energy” and its overall objective is to improve the use of SF - and other financial resources - in the urban projects of at least 4 NMS, progressing towards a better integration of sustainable energy issues in their projects, based on improving capacity building in collective structures (city networks, agencies) and individual bodies (municipalities). Energie-Cités, as a very experienced network of European municipalities promoting local sustainable energy policies, will be in charge of coordinating the “RUSE” operation together with 4 major partners in the Czech republic, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia (3 city networks from Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia are associated partners) as well as 10 municipalities or municipal energy agencies and 2 national energy agencies from the former EU-15. All these bodies have a great deal of experience in urban development related to energy issues.

Exchange of experience and knowledge; creation of a network of expertise; preparation and dissemination of good practice case studies and guidelines; provision of information to municipalities and relevant bodies; promotion of the project are all part of the main activities that “RUSE” will implement over 45 months (2004 – 2007).

The main activities will include:

• exchange of experience, knowledge; and transfer of know-how,
• creation of a network of expertise,
• preparation / dissemination of good practice case studies/guides,
• provision of information and advice to municipalities and relevant bodies in each new member states,
• promotion of the project.