Brussels, 15/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - At a meeting in the evening of Thursday 14 July with EU Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Greek Regional Development Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis said he hoped Greece would be granted an increase in the proportion of cash the EU would be prepared to provide for co-funded infrastructure projects from an upper limit of 79% to 85%. Ton van Lierop, a spokesperson for Johannes Hahn, said this would be possible if certain changes were made to existing programmes over the following weeks and months to provide greater funding to Greece in a faster manner than normal.
Chrysochoidis announced that new laws would be introduced in Greece to slash red tape and he promised to speedily improve the environment from small business so that it could generate new jobs. The Commission spokesperson said the Greek government would be earmarking suitable projects to be amended to release greater EU funding.
Commissioner Hahn asked Chrysochoidis to update Greece's compulsory purchase scheme for land earmarked for motorways.
The Commission felt that the meeting was a success and hoped that the funding for Greece could be released as soon as possible. The spokesperson said the talks had centred around some €22.2bn of available EU funding, some €4.9bn of which has already been under discussion. It is now for the Greek authorities to see whether the remaining €15bn can be spent on viable projects that will definitely aid the Greek economy on the road to recovery. (G. B./transl.fl)