Ten years of PPP in Germany: Experiences and perspectives

Abstract

The federal report on public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the building sector, published in 2003, can be considered as the cornerstone for the realisation of PPP projects in Germany. Today, 10 years later, this paper draws a balance and takes a look back on 10 years of daily dealings with PPP projects. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the German PPP market and the experiences that have occurred in the context of procurement, financing and the realisation of PPP projects themselves. First of all a definition is given of PPP in Germany and a short overview is presented of the history of PPP and the different types of PPP contracts. A short survey analyses PPP projects in the building construction and road sectors. Then, the experiences in preparation and realisation are summarised and evaluated. Finally, the paper presents a closer look at the actual and future development of PPP in Germany with consideration of critical aspects and possible solutions.