Large-scale environmental problems and difficulties in urban development are a barrier to structural change throughout the mining regions of CADSES. In many cases a monostructured economy, the prevalence of paternalistic structures, a negative image and the persistence of environmental damage with remaining risk elements require an integrated approach to rehabilitate and develop mining regions. The structural change in mining regions is a difficult task and many small or mid-sized cities, particularly in peripheral regions, are not able to cope with it alone. READY aims at strengthening the competitive ability of mining cities and mining regions in Central and Eastern Europe by improving their ecological, social and economic situation. The project addresses major planning and development issues with special consideration of the situation in Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Romania and Slovakia. In the 18 mining cities and regions participating in the project, the mining industry is in decline or mining and manufacturing of mining products have already been ceased. The main objectives of the project are to provide incentives for structural changes in former mining cities and regions by accomplishing new development perspectives and the initiation of a new quality of transnational co-operation by establishing a high-performance network. Co-ordinated actions should increase political awareness of disadvantaged mining cities and regions. READY includes four types of activities: local activities in the participating cities, intensive international networking, the founding of a European network of mining cities and support for local implementation of strategies and measures. Expected Results: The following results are expected from project implementation: - Founding of an international network of mining cities with 50 to 100 members in the beginning, development of a concept for a Central and Eastern European Network of Mining Cities and Regions (MINEC), - Recommendations for policies and actions of the European Union to strengthen the position of mining cities (interim reports, newsletters, brochures, final report, etc.), - Scientific reports about strategies, general framework, positive and negative factors of local and regional development, and results of local and regional actions; - 7 development concepts for mining cities and regions on the basis of existing concepts, - 20 feasibility studies for key projects (partners with development concepts and the desire to implement them), marketing concepts, - 7 other measures preparing for investment actions, - 12 small-scale investments in the run-up to bigger investments (e.g. establishing the international network office, info points, tourist trail through an old mining area).