Summary:

The article concerns selected aspects of municipality risk in investment activity realized as public private partnerships. Two aspects of partnership connected with risk were addressed. Firstly, it was emphasized that this form of cooperation is connected with transfer of risk from the municipality to a private entity. Secondly, it was pointed that in result of the municipality accession to the public-private partnership new areas of risk appear, so far unknown (without this type of cooperation) or assuming a different character. The proportions of municipal investment risk division between partners depend on the form of partnership. Once the private partner becomes more involved in various aspects of the whole investment project, various areas of risk are transferred to him by the public entity. Therefore, the transferred responsibility with the accompanying risk concerns design and construction works, acquiring sources of finances for the investment and its modernization, but also for providing services based on the infrastructure created. At the moment when such close cooperation is initiated and a private entity joins the sphere of public services, new risk appears in the municipality. It has a characteristic feature, i.e. it can be mostly avoided if all tendering procedures are carried out properly and the contract on cooperation in the form of public-private partnership has been drawn correctly. The following risks should be particularly mentioned: loss of public control over the endeavor, social criticism of both partners, exclusion of certain social groups from consumer circle, unreliability of private partner, decline in the provided services quality, loss of jobs by the former employees, legal problems, interrupted continuity of supplies, loss of own staff by local self-government and ability for independent operation in the area of services commissioned to the private partner.