European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Crețu will be in Greece on October 5 to inaugurate three major transport and environment projects that received a total of €1.3bn in support from EU funds.
The Commission has also adopted a decision for a €121m investment for a motorway connecting the Aktio peninsula to the Ionia highway, a key transport section linking North-Western Greece to the South.
“As President Juncker mentioned in his State of the Union speech, Greece is now back on its own two feet,” said Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu. “And these four projects will, each in their own way, help Greece write a new chapter in its history. Greece is already one of the main beneficiaries of EU funds and for the next decade, the Commission proposes even more Cohesion Policy resources for lasting growth in the country, jobs and an ever-better quality of life for the Greek people.”
According to a Commission press release, the successful preparation, implementation or completion of these projects was through the “New Start for Jobs and Growth in Greece” plan. The Commission launched this plan in 2015 to complement the stability support programme which successfully concluded on 20 August 2018.
On October 4, Crețu is scheduled to visit the high speed Tithorea-Lianokladi-Domokos railway line, which is currently in its final development phase. This line will also reduce travel time between Athens and Thessaloniki. As soon as additional signalling and telecommunications works are completed, it will take 3.5 hours to travel by train between Greece’s two major cities.
Crețu will also visit the Thriassio Pedio Freight Complex in the region in Athens, the first integrated intermodal freight centre in Greece, which benefitted from €200m of EU funds. This complex will be a key hub on the Athens-Thessaloniki rail route, with significant impact expected on trade and on the competitiveness of the Greek economy.
