Brussels, 30/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner for industry Antonio Tajani is advocating investment and more tourism in a country that is still on the edge of bankruptcy.
The Commissioner travelled to Athens on the 28-29 October to meet Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and several members of the Greek government: the minister for development and competitiveness, Kostis Hatzidakis and the minister for tourism, Olga Kefalogianni. He was accompanied by his colleague and counterpart responsible for maritime affairs (from Greece), Maria Damanaki. Tajani appealed for a “strong policy” to be implemented in order to attract investment in Greece and in Europe. “We shall cooperate for new investments, for more flexible rules governing investments and mainly the investment from abroad. This is a steadfast commitment of ours regarding Greece, but not only for Greece; it is for all European Union countries. We shall cooperate in the coming months in the direction of attracting more investments”, Tajani promised.
The economic crisis has particularly struck underperforming countries with weak industrial bases, such as Greece, pointed out Tajani. The Commissioner explained that if the budgetary consolidation enterprise is to succeed and if the country is to find the right way towards growth, Greece had to focus on industry and companies, particularly in the tourism sector. Tajani highlighted the fact that his new strategy to re-industrialise Europe was an opportunity for Greece, where the share of its secondary sector in GDP fell by more than 20% before the crisis to 16%. This needs increasing to more than 20% by 2020 (see EUROPE 10707). Action of this kind was more than necessary in Greece, where the industrial sector share of GDP fell from 11% to 9% and where the construction sector's equivalent share fell by 9% to 2.5%. The Commissioner did, however, welcome the reforms begun by Greece in favour of SMEs. (EH/transl.fl)