Brussels, 08/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Greek Presidency will be keeping a particularly close eye on the start made to the reformed cohesion policy, the new provisions of which have been applicable from this month of January for the rest of the financial programming period up to 2020. Indeed, Athens has decided to dedicate an informal meeting of the European ministers responsible for regional development to the effective implementation of the cohesion policy. On 24 and 25 of April of this year, the ministers may get answers to questions which have remained outstanding. The involvement of the European Commission will be essential in this, as the Executive will have to provide the ministers with clear guidelines on the application of the new legislative package which was adopted in late December and on implementation of the operational programmes in the member states. The Lithuanian Presidency tested the water at the end of November, and talks between ministers flagged up a number of problems in developing their strategy, particularly as regards performance indicators and the ex ante conditions of the thematic concentration (see EUROPE 10971). This question-and-answer workshop will therefore be particularly useful in moving the programmes forward. Cohesion policy is a sensitive area for Greece, which will benefit from around €14.5 billion in European co-funding via the structural and investment funds up to the end of the decade.
Another subject close to the heart of the Greek government is the Adriatic-Ionian macro-regional strategy, which will also have its ministerial conference on 6 February of this year. A preamble to the publication of an action plan on the subject by the European Commission is expected for this spring. (MD/transl.fl)