Brussels, 14/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - European Commissioner for Regional Development Johannes Hahn is continuing his visit to the Greek regions to supervise the efficient use of regional funds for relaunching growth and creating jobs in the country. On 14-15 February he will be in Tripolis and Patras, the main cities of the Peloponnese region and Western Greece.
On Thursday 14 February, he met the governor of Western Greece, Apostolos Katsifaras. The latter informed the commissioner that this visit “makes us feel that we are not alone”. During his visits to the local authorities and local projects, the commissioner insisted that structural funds be directed towards productive sectors, such as research and development, support for SMEs and sustainable development. One of his concerns also focuses on bringing an end to illegal landfill sites, which deter potential investors and badly affect people's quality of life. During his visit to Greece, Hahn has highlighted that European cohesion policy could help to fund modern waste management centres. (MD/transl.fl)