Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-10-21

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] EU funds' aborption rate 35% in Greece, Commissioner Hubner says

[02] PASOK leader asks Commission's help for Greece to absorb EU funds

[03] Development minister inaugurates windpower park in the Peloponnese

[01] EU funds' aborption rate 35% in Greece, Commissioner Hubner says

Speaking to reporters during a news conference in Athens, Hubner said she hoped that this figure could be raised during the ongoing year, while she stressed that payment applications were usually submitted with the European Commission even at the end of each year.

She also expressed satisfaction over her cooperation with Greek authorities and for Athens' commitment to introduce necessary adjustments, although she noted she was not satisfied with absorption of funds of structural programmes.

Hubner said Greece could lose around 200 million euros from the Cohesion Fund, although she stressed that the figure was very low compared with the total funds from the Cohesion Fund (around three billion euros). The Commissioner also underlined that the European Commission helped member-states to timely prepare for absorption of EU funds and to maximise the use of Community funding at the national level.

Meetings with ministers

During her meeting with Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister George Souflias, Hubner brought up the disposal of toxic waste issue, to which the Greek minister replied that three joint ministerial decisions on the matter will be issued in November.

On his part, Souflias told reporters that he briefed Hubner on a new legal framework pushed through by the Karamanlis government for tendering large public works -- a pre-election pledge aimed at fighting corruption and increasing transparency in the sector -- while reiterating that the ministry has requested an increase of 300 million euros due to a redistribution of 3rd Community Support Framework funds.

He also said the ministry's EU funding absorption rate is satisfactory, sans Operational Programme for the Environment-related projects, for which he said initial plans will be revised.

The EU Commissioner also met with Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis, as talks focused on EU fiscal prospects for the 2007-2013 period.

Afterwards, the deputy minister said he reiterated a position promoted by Greece and other members of the so-called "Friends of Cohesion" group for increased Cohesion Fund allocations.

"A primary objective for our country is the fair distribution of enlargement costs and the guaranteeing of Cohesion Funds in favor of the developmental process of both new and older member-states. We would like a resolution to the problem as soon as possible. This is why Greece has requested that the issue of the EU budget for 2007-2013 be discussed at next week's informal summit meeting," Valinakis said.

[02] PASOK leader asks Commission's help for Greece to absorb EU funds

"I asked her to help during upcoming negotiations regarding the Fourth Community Support Framework so that Greece receives its rightful share," he said.

"I have said and will say again publicly that PASOK will support every such effort," he added.

Papandreou accused the government of missing opportunities and losing out on funds.

"I'm afraid that the government is continuing along this course," he said.

[03] Development minister inaugurates windpower park in the Peloponnese

The windpower park is the first integrated such programme in the Peloponnese region and it took around 18 months to be completed. The park includes 12 winpower generators and will have a production capacity of 70 million KW. Energy produced by the park will be distributed to Public Power Corporation's electricity grid in the country.

The Greek minister, in his inauguration speech, said it was a remarkable project for the region that would benefit the country as a whole. "The government is committed to earmark funds from a Fourth Community Support Framework for the development of Greek regions," Sioufas said.

A Development ministry's plan to deregulate the country's electricity, natural gas and bio-fuel markets aims to secure 20 percent of energy needs from alternative energy sources by 2010.

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