Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 14-02-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] Achilleion palace's sculptures declared monuments

[02] Northern Greek farmers heading to Athens for rally

[03] Sixteen arrests for fuel smuggling

[04] Greek presidency given flexibility to negotiate deal on SRM

[01] Achilleion palace's sculptures declared monuments

The majority of frescos, busts and statues created by noted or unknown sculptors of the 19th century are copies of work of arts that are kept at the Archaeological Museum of Naples and several museums in Rome.

Most of the sculptures are at the same positions where Empress Elisabeth (Sissy) of Austria who was the first owner of Achilleion has placed them.

To most famous of all the sculptures is "Dying Achilles" created by Ernst Gustav Herter in 1884. The sculpture was the Empress' personal order to Herter and was initially placed at the Imperial Summer Palace in Vienna.

The construction of the palace started in 1889 and was completed in 1891.

Paintings, photographs, engravings, furniture, clocks and china are also included in Achilleion's movable works of art, however, the sculptures are considered the most important artworks of the palace.

[02] Northern Greek farmers heading to Athens for rally

Farmers estimate that other sectors' employees as well as citizens protesting against toll fees hikes will participate in the rally in central Athens.

At Malgara toll station outside the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, farmers were giving away rice and handing out flyers with their demands to passing-by drivers, farmers' representatives Fanis Albanis told ANA-MPA.

Farmers at the Kouloura junction in Imathia are in a wait-and-see stance ahead of a meeting between central Macedonia deputies and Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras. Although the exact day of the meeting has not been set yet, the two sides are expected to discuss issues such as taxation and production cost.

Costas Lioliopoulos, vice-president of the Imathia farmers' movement, said he hoped that even some of their demands would be met so that the whole issue could be settled.

On Thursday, farmers at Kouloura will hold a rally outside the Macedonia-Thrace ministry at 12.00.

Farmers in Lakonia, south Peloponnese, blocked the entrance of Sparti tax offices for a second day using agricultural products such as olives and oranges.

Farmers have set up six roadblocks in the region and cut off traffic for few minutes during the day.

Lakonia farmers' representative Christos Anagnostakos told ANA-MPA that their main concern is the taxation measures which "will effectively wipe out the agricultural sector", adding that this "taxation law aims at and will hit smaller farmers."

[03] Sixteen arrests for fuel smuggling

Among the arrested is an oil company and a football team president as well as two state employees, one working at the customs and the other at the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Ministry.

Thirty persons have been taken in for questioning while the police operation continues.

[04] Greek presidency given flexibility to negotiate deal on SRM

Presenting the results of the meeting in his capacity as council chair, Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras said the Greek EU Presidency welcomed the Council's willingness to give sufficient flexibility to explore alternative solutions with the European Parliament. He said that these be examined in detail at the next ECOFIN meeting on March 11 and stressed that finding a common ground, which would allow agreement within the current legislative period, was a matter of urgency for the Greek presidency.

Stournaras insisted that a final agreement is in the joint interests of all parties involved. On the issues on which a compromise might be found, he referred to the details concerning the decision-making process during the transitional period in the operation of the SRM, the role played by the Council and the European Central Bank and bail-in procedures.

European Commissioner for internal market and services Michel Barnier said there had been a constructive spirit during Tuesday's talks, while acknowledging the objections voiced by the European Parliament. He appeared confident that a deal can be struck between the Council and the EU Parliament within the next two months.

Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem also spoke of "constructive" discussions that made it possible to come closer to an agreement, noting that all sides had stressed the need for an agreement by the end of March.

The European Parliament objects to the ECOFIN Council decision last December to set up parts of the SRM through an intergovernmental agreement. It also questions the decision-making process for placing a bank into resolution, saying the decision should be made by the European Commission and not the member-states.

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