Commissaris Danuta Hübner brengt een bezoek aan Griekenland voor overleg over het cohesiebeleid en Europese steun voor innovatie (en)

Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner i, is visiting Greece from 25 to 27 February. She will meet Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis i and members of the government to discuss the contribution of the EU's Cohesion Policy to the European Economic Recovery Plan and the policy's role as a driver for investment in innovation, research and development in Greece. The Commissioner will also address the "Innovation, Research and Development in the framework of the European Regional Policy" conference in Athens and visit projects backed with European investment in the Epirus and the Ionian Islands regions.

The Commissioner's meeting with Mr Karamanlis and members of the Greek government will take place on 25 February. She will highlight the European Commission's plans to accelerate structural fund payments in response to the economic and financial crisis. Greece will receive an additional cash advance of €408 million in 2009, on top of the € 1.1 billion it has already received in front-loaded payments since 2007. This investment will enable Greece to speed up the implementation of projects supported by the EU Cohesion Policy.

On 26 February, Commissioner Hübner will take part in the Athens conference on "Innovation, Research and Development in the framework of the European Regional Policy". The event is organised by Manolis Angelakas, member of the European Parliament, under the auspices of the EPP-ED Group. The Commissioner will encourage Member States and regions to maintain their focus on job creation and sustainable growth, with a special emphasis on support for innovative companies and systems. In 2007-2013, the Greek authorities will allocate more than €3.6 billion to innovation projects in research and development, support for entrepreneurship, communication and information technologies. This investment represents 18% of the € 20,4 billion in total funding allocated to Greece under the Cohesion Policy.

Commenting on her visit to Epirus and the Ionian Islands on 26 and 27 February, Commissioner Hübner said: “These two regions face challenges in terms accessibility, environmental infrastructures and services, but through the support of the Cohesion Policy they have capitalised on their assets such as their cultural heritage, their flourishing tourism sector and capacity to set up projects with neighbouring countries.”

Visit to the Epirus region

The Commissioner will visit the Ioannina Technological Park, which connects Ioannina’s research community to the business community, and the archeological site of Dodoni which received €1.8 million in EU support for the restoration of the ancient stone theatre. She will also see the landfill site at Paramythia-Karvounari (EU contribution: €7.9 million). The Cohesion Policy in Greece has contributed to the creation of many such landfills, to ensure they comply with EU environmental law, while co-funding the closure of hundreds of illegal sites.

Visit to the Ionian Islands

Commissioner Hübner will visit the port of Corfu which has received €4.8 million in support from the INTERREG i Greece-Italy programme and which is regarded as a shining example of cross-border cooperation. The programme has boosted capacity at the port for passenger-car ferries in particular.

The Structural Funds are also helping to expand university education in isolated Greek regions, to alleviate overcrowding in Greece’s main educational centres of Athens and Thessaloniki. During her visit to the Ionian Islands, Commissioner Hübner will visit the department of history, archival and library science at the Ionian University, which is now established in a modern setting more conducive to research and teaching thanks to a €4.5 million grant from the EU.

Note for editors

Greece has a strong record of creativity and innovation where EU projects are concerned. Two of its most recent success stories were recognised at the 2009 RegioStars Awards, which celebrate Europe’s most innovative projects supported by Cohesion Policy.

Greece won the category for best audiovisual spot or programme highlighting the contribution of Cohesion Policy, with a humorous TV clip featuring actor Thodoris Atheridis explaining the meaning of the National Strategic Reference Framework (ESPA). It was also shortlisted for its project “Coralia, the Hellenic Technology Clusters initiative”, presented by the Attiki region in the research, technological development and innovation category.

More information at http://ec.europa.eu/inforegio/innovation/regiostars_en.htm

For more information on Cohesion policy in Epirus and the Ionian Islands: see MEMO/07/506 and MEMO/07/507.