Investment programs

New programming period for cohesion policy (New NSRF 2014-2020)

The European commission approved of the new NSRF(National Strategic Reference Framework) for 2014-2020. Greek NSRF is the third among 28 member states of the EU after Denmark and Germany. The timely approval ensures the promotion of high quality projects that emphasizes the goal achievement of consistence policy for the Europe of 2020 and finally for new jobs.

New NSRF can be a catalyst for development in a critical period for the state. It’s about 26 billion public investments. Emphasis will be given on the support of projects of existing as well as new enterprises . Priority will be given to innovation and extroversion.

Basic features of new NSRF:

• Community contribution in NSRF:19,7 billions (public expense 24,6 billions) euros with possible increase of 2 billions, with the review clause application in 2016.

In this are added:

• CEF resources (connecting Europe) almost 682 million euros from Cohesion Fund which are centrally managed from EU but only for projects proposed by the state
• Resources for the territorial cooperation programs, 289,6 millions euros
• Resourcesof the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD), managed by the state, 351 million euros

Total amount of Community Assistance: almost 20,8 billion euros.

The total amount of the European resources our country will take advantage of from 2014-2020 with the national contribution will be over 26 billion euros.

Key priority is to fund projects that promote competitiveness, innovation and the extroversion of the country’s enterprises including those in the primary sector. New NSRF fund will be directed to qualitative entrepreneurship pointed to innovation and increasing of domestic value added.

Seven native Operational Programms (including technical assistance):

1. “Entrepreneurship-competitiveness-innovation”

Budget:3,64 billion euros (public expenditure 4,55 biliion euros).

The largest operational program of new NSRF, absorbs 25% of the resources. Strategic aim of the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship-Innovation(EPAnEK-kinissi 2014-2020)is the strengthening of competitiveness and extroversion, the transition to qualitative entrepreneurship and the increase of domestic added value. The new plan highlights at central role productive, competitive and extrovert economy sectors such as:

• Tourism
• Food and agriculture sector
• Logistics
• Environmental industry
• Medications-health
• Production and energy saving
• Information and communication technologies
• Creative industries and culture
• Construction material

2. “Education-training-employment”

Budget: 1,9 billion euros (public expenditure 2,3 billion euros) plus 0,17 billion euros (public expenditure 0,214) for youth employment.

Target of thisoperational program is to face unemployment focusing on creating quality education possibilities, skills upgrading and sustainable employment for all and opinions on strengthening social cohesion.

• Improve training skills
• Unemployment/vouchers coupons
• Modernization of Manpower Employment Organization OAED
• Active employment policies for the youth, women, long-term unemployed
• Innovative programs for the educational system qualitative upgrade
• Connecting education and training to the labour market
• Reducing early school leaving
• Youth employment

3. “Transport infrastructure environment and sustainable development”

Budget: 3,5 billion euros (public expenditure 4,2 billion euros).

The targets of thisoperational program, as far as the environmental sector is concerned, gives emphasis on the environmental protection and exploitation as a means to support the country’s transition to a friendly environment economy, with simultaneous competitive advantage creation, to facilitate investment attraction and to provide opportunities for the pursuit of business activities in the same environment sector.

• Completion trans-European road and railnetwork
• Athens and Thessaloniki metro
• Airport and harbour works
• Waste management
• New infrastructure but also work completion of previous NSRF
• Improving of the framework for the business training on the environment, energy and green economy

4. “Public Sector Reformation”

Budget: 0,38 billion euros (public expenditure 0,47 billion euros). Integrated strategy changes in horizontal sectors that penetrate the structures and concern many ministries simultaneously. The aimof the programis to address problems of organization, management and control and at the same time improvement of coordination among the ministries. Indicative priority areas:

• Electronic services provision to the citizens, modernization of justice, evaluation of human resources, upgrade of local authorities etc
• Stuctures and operating reorganization
• Migration Management actions
• Reorganization of health services

5. “Rural development programme”

Budget:4,2 billion euros (public expenditure 5,2 billion euros) of which 1,2 billion (public expenditure 1,5 billion euros) through Regional Operational Programs .The basic strategic options of the country for the agricultural sector strengthening aim at:

• Investments for the effectiveness and productivity improvement of the rural agro-food system and the competitiveness improvement of the rural exploitations
• Support to manufacturing businesses withcomparative advantage and export oriented
• In support of undertakings processing and marketing agricultural products
• New farmer’s support for the creation of viable farms
• Diversification of economic activitiesin the countryside
• Supportpilot projectsto develop newproducts and technologies in the agriculture and food sector

6. “Fisheries and marine Affairs Program” (upon finalization of the resources)

Budget (estimated amount) 389 million euros (public expense 523 million euros). Indicative areas of priority of the business program is:

• Investmentsto improve the competitiveness ofenterprises across the field branches (fishery, aquaculture, trade and manufacturing)
• Strengthening of aquaculturefor the production of market value species
• Improvement of the market organization for fishery and aquaculture products

7. “TechnicalAssistance”

Budget:0,32 billion euros (public expense 0,39 billion euros). The business program “technical Assistance 2014-2020” is expected to play a vital role for the timely and effective high quality implementating interventions that will be financed during the new programming period. To serve this role the Operational Program is based on a clear strategy that aims at the effectiveness maximizing of the NSRF 2014-2020 structures and procedures.

The technical assistance finances activities such as preparation, management, monitoring assessment, information and communication, networking, fiscal control including electronic data interchange system, as well as measures for the authorities and beneficiaries reinforcement.

Thirteen Regional Operational Programms
Budget: 5,2 billion euros (public sector expense 6,75 billion euros)

• Increase of the regional operationalprograms percentage to the whole program from 22% (previous programming period 20172-2013) to 35%
• Separate program for every region (Regional Operational Programs)only for ERDF (European regional development fund) and ESF (European social fund)
• All the regions will manage more resources compared with the today’s program
• Emphasis on development projects but also on entrepreneurship, social actions
• Multisectoral and multifund programs
• Reorganization of structures and function

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