Greece Secures €600M from EU Recovery Fund with New Agreement

Greece has reached a important statement with the European Commission to unafraid €600 cardinal successful backing from the EU Recovery Fund, avoiding the hazard of losing the resources owed to strict deadlines tied to the country’s municipality readying program.

The determination provides a enactment of alleviation for the ambitious task covering 80% of Greek territory, known arsenic the “Constantinos Doxiadis” municipality readying initiative, which aims to update metropolis and determination plans crossed the country.

Flexible EU Approach

The Ministry of Environment and Energy (ΥΠΕΝ) successfully negotiated with the European Commission to admit the completion of studies by the Planning Authority arsenic sufficient for gathering the milestone, alternatively of requiring the afloat implementation of the municipality plans by April 2026.

According to Efthymios Bakogiannis, Secretary General for Spatial Planning and Urban Environment, this flexibility allows Greece to unafraid the funds successful special accounts while continuing to refine and finalize the Local and Special Urban Plans done consultations with section communities.

“This λύση prevents rushed oregon inadequate studies,” Bakogiannis said. “Funds will lone beryllium released to the contractors erstwhile the work is afloat completed.”

A Realistic Target

During negotiations, ΥΠΕΝ projected excluding 40% of the 150 planned studies to guarantee that the task stays connected track. By focusing initially connected much precocious studies, such arsenic those for Mykonos and Santorini, the ministry aims to gradually execute afloat absorption of the Recovery Fund resources erstwhile each plans are completed.

Bakogiannis emphasized that prime remains a top priority. “If the methodology and standards are not met, we will cull the studies. I similar to suffer some funds alternatively than judge substandard work,” helium warned.

Challenges Ahead

The Secretary General besides highlighted concerns astir conservatism successful the readying process. Since the Council of State (ΣτΕ) is the last authorization reviewing the plans, planners tend to beryllium cautious, limiting the imaginable for progressive and modern municipality designs.

Additionally, the integration of gathering incentives under the New Building Regulation (ΝΟΚ) into the municipality plans presents technical challenges. Bakogiannis called connected experts to supply methodologically sound proposals to guarantee that such incentives are appropriately applied astatine the level of metropolis blocks and neighborhoods, alternatively than idiosyncratic properties.

Source: tovima.com