Eurocommissaris Hübner bezoekt Griekenland om impact van Europese subsidies te zien (en)
Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy, will see projects showing state-of-the-art impacts of EU investment transforming Western Greece and Continental Greece on her visit to these regions 7-9 September. She will visit projects in transport infrastructure, tourism, environment and new technologies. On 8 September in Athens, she will take part in an informal ministerial working group on Economic integration of South-Eastern Europe along with ministers from Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania and Slovenia. Entrepreneurship is the theme of a conference at which she will give a keynote speech in Athens on 9 September. The event, entitled 'Entrepreneurship with a human face', is the European Economic and Social Committee's biennial conference.
"All the projects I will visit are evidence of the way in which Greece's landscape, society and economy are being rapidly transformed thanks to Cohesion Policy," the Commissioner said ahead of her visit. "The 2007-2013 programmes for Continental and Western Greece are in line with Lisbon Strategy objectives for jobs and growth, and put a high priority on cooperation between universities, research institutes and enterprises, as well as the use of information and communication technologies, and protecting the environment."
7 September: Visit to Continental Greece
In Orchomenos (near Veotia), the Commissioner will visit the archeological site and the Panaghia Scripoú monastery, dating from the Byzantine period. The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) contributed to the renovation of the site, an important tourist attraction in the region. In the same town, another EU project saw the successful conversion of buildings which date back to the 19th century and which belonged to the former British company Lake Copais Co (responsible for the drainage of Lake Copais) into a modern hall for cultural exhibitions and conferences. She will also see the landfill of Theva. The project (EU contribution: €4.8 million) consists of a new landfill and the rehabilitation of the landscape of the existing landfill to bring it up to EU environmental standards.
8 September: Visit featuring projects in Western Greece
The Commissioner will visit the Rio-Antirio bridge, officially named the Charilaos Trikoupis bridge after the statesman who first envisaged its construction at the end of the 19th century. This cable-stayed bridge crosses the Gulf of Corinth near Patras, connecting the Peloponnese to mainland Greece, and provides a state-of-the-art illustration of the way in which Cohesion Policy support for infrastructure projects benefits the Greek economy as a whole (EU contribution: €88.6 million). The Commissioner will also hear about plans to extend broadband infrastructure outside Athens and Thessaloniki in efforts to contribute to the development of local communities beyond the main centres.
In Athens, Commissioner Hübner will address a conference entitled 'Economic integration of South-Eastern Europe', with government representatives from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia and Cyprus. Participants will discuss how to improve assistance to the Western Balkans to facilitate their integration vis a vis the EU. Several cooperation programmes are foreseen for 2007-2013, funded by the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA). Funding amounts to €11.5 billion over a seven-year period, for the Western Balkans and Turkey. The priorities are infrastructure, regional development and human resources, based on the model of EU cohesion policy.
9 September: EESC Conference: 'Entrepreneurship with a Human face', Athens
Commissioner Hübner will deliver a speech in which she will highlight the role of the European regions as essential partners for businesses. She will explain how Cohesion Policy provides a comprehensive platform for such co-operation and she will draw attention to support available under Cohesion Policy programmes: to train entrepreneurs; to facilitate access to finance for small and medium enterprises; and to promote networks of clusters bringing together public authorities, universities and businesses to stimulate innovation and growth in a region. The EESC's biennial conference is a long-standing tradition, and marks the end of the two-year term of the Committee's President-in-office, currently M. Dimitris Dimitriadis.
Note for editors
In 2000-2006, Western Greece received €539 million from the Structural Funds (ERDF and ESF), and Continental Greece €460 million. Summaries of the regional programmes for 2007-2013: MEMO/07/506 and MEMO/07/507.
Cohesion Policy has contributed to increasing GDP by 2.8% in Greece between 2000 and 2006, according to the EU's 4th report on economic and social cohesion.
More information is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/atlas2007/greece/