Brussels, 02/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - Anna Diamantopoulou, Social Policy Commissioner, signed on 29 March a decision approving the operational programme in Greece called "Education and Initial Vocational Training", for the period 2000-2006. The programme involves Community support for all the Greek regions lagging behind in their development (Objective 1). Aid amounts to a total of EUR 1.5 billion from the European Social Fund (ESF) and 382 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It will contribute to an available investment total of EUR 2.5 billion from Greek private and public funds. Resources earmarked for Greece under structural and cohesion policy for the period 2000-2006 amount to EUR 26.027 billion, without the "Community Initiatives" (For more details: http/: europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh.?p action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/00/1366/0/RAPID&Ig=EN)