Brussels, 02/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - For its fifth presidency of the Council of the EU, which will begin on 1 January 2014, Greece will take on its role at low cost. The Presidency will be “Spartan - for various economic and symbolic reasons”, said a high ranking Greek official on 1 October, announcing a cost of €50 million and hoping that “we won't spend the whole budget”. Although the official said that the Presidency would cost less than previous ones - which are estimated at €60-€80 million - the Greek Presidency should nevertheless match the average. While Cyprus budgeted €61.7 million, the final cost was €46 million. Ireland planned on a €60 million budget for its presidency.
The Greek official said that most activities would take place in Brussels. Thirteen informal meetings are planned in Greece, but only in Athens “to keep costs down”, and thus avoid “diplomatic tourism”. He said that only a small group of people are organising the Presidency, and that only 150 people maximum will work in the Permanent Representation during the Greek Presidency, compared to 300 for previous Greek presidencies, in the official's view.
And given the cost that a presidency represents in a country in economic crisis, the Greek official said that public opinion in Greece wants to have the Presidency “without spending too much” as happened in the past. The official did not expect a negative reaction from the Greek people about €50 million. “I expect a negative reaction if we hold a bad presidency or if it is badly organised”, he added.
The high ranking official stated that the three priorities of the Greek Presidency are the completion of economic and monetary union - including the social section; growth, employment and cohesion; and issues of mobility - migration and borders, as Greece's Minister for European Affairs Dimitris Kourkoulas had earlier said in an interview with EUROPE (see EUROPE 10832). “But this does not mean that we are laying other issues aside that are already in the pipeline” - such as innovation, the digital agenda, and enlargement policy, he added. Nevertheless, Greece will also have to face a shortened presidency - while it officially lasts for six months, like the others, due to the European elections in May, progress in legislative procedures will have to be made in “three to three and a half months”. (CG/transl.fl)