Securing basic services / services of general interest

By looking at rural areas and, in particular, shrinking regions, we investigate how services of general interest can be efficiently provided and financed and what role public-sector companies and non-profit organizations can play in this. A solid economic foundation is a prerequisite for securing basic services / services of general interest, especially in peripheral rural areas. We analyze supply structures and their development from an economic perspective. In order to determine the relationship between location conditions, forms of organization, quality of supply and local and overall economic costs, we conduct comparative regional analyses. In fields with insufficient data, we ourselves systematically collect information on institutional conditions in the regions, including on a large scale. From a micro perspective, we analyze the various financing and organizational models for the provision of public and social services. In addition to a survey and classification of the various existing models, our goal is a comparative assessment of their effectiveness and efficiency as well as clarification of their economic and social preconditions.

• Financial resources and room for manoeuvre of rural municipalities