The overall objective of the COAL2GAS proposal is to evaluate the feasibility of UCG in shallow lignite seams, geologically, technically and environmentally and to illustrate this for a selected deposit in Romania. The resulting information will be linked to the requirements in a permit application. A future pilot will be prepared focusing on environmental protection. Chances are assessed for other similar European deposits. The results obtained will help evaluating the potential and risks of UCG in shallow mining environments.