SECTION: RUSE
RUSE
RUSE
Redirecting Urban areas development towards Sustainable Energy
From 2004 onwards, the Structural Funds (SF) have been made available in the new member states (NMS) and one of the main challenges these countries 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 had already been gained in the former EU-15, including both good and bad practice.
With the financial support of INTEREG IIIC the “RUSE” operation aimed at “Redirecting Urban areas development towards Sustainable Energy” and its overall objective was to improve the use of SF - and other financial resources - in the urban projects of at least 5 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, was in charge of coordinating the “RUSE” operation together with 5 major partners in the Czech republic, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria while 10 municipalities or municipal energy agencies as well as 2 national energy agencies from the former EU-15 were providing 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 were all part of the main activities that “RUSE” has implemented over almost 4 years (2004 – 2007).
The main activities included:
- 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.
| Project | Data |
|---|---|
| Programme | INTERREG IIIC - DG REGIO |
| Leader | Energie-Cités |
| Partners | Partners from New Member States: Polish Network “Energie-Cités” (PNEC), Slovak Energy Agency (SEA), Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI), South-Bohemia Region (SBR), EcoEnergy (Bulgarian Municipal Energy Efficiency Network) / Associated Partners: Orase Energie in Romania, Standing Conference of Serbian Municipalities for Energy Efficiency / National energy agencies: ADEME (FR), SenterNovem (NL) |
| Villes | Clermont-Ferrand Energy Agency (FR), Delft City Council (NL), Grenoble Energy Agency (FR), Kirklees Metropolitan Council (GB), Leicester City Council (GB), München City Council (DE), Roma Local Energy Agency (IT), Tampere Energy Agency - City of Tampere (FI), Vila Nova de Gaia Energy Agency (PT), Zoetermeer Energy Agency (NL) |
| Duration | From 01/04/2004 to 31/12/2007 |
| Website | www.ruse-europe.org |
| Contact | Christophe FRERING or Jana CICMANOVA |