Welcome to today's Press Conference and thank you for being here. The Marine, Fisheries and Aquaculture Operational Programme 2021-2027, which we are presenting today, is a sustainable and effective plan for further development of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors. It is also the means to make sustainable use of the opportunities offered by the sea through an integrated maritime strategy.
The Programme was prepared through public consultation with all socio-economic partners at a difficult time, with unprecedented challenges and difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The need to address both the impact of these successive crises and the structural problems of the sector has been taken into account in the formulation of the programme. At the same time, the Programme has been fully aligned with the development model of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment and with the objectives of the Green Deal, the Farm to Plate Strategy and the Sustainable Development Policy of the United Nations.
The new Programme has a total budget of €54.7 million, with the European Union contributing €38.5 million, representing 70% of the budget.
Through the Programme, grant projects will be launched for actions to promote the blue economy, the transition to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, the reduction of pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions, the protection of marine biodiversity and the improvement of health conditions, safety and working conditions on board fishing vessels, promoting the socio-economic attractiveness of the fishing profession, providing consumers with quality and healthy seafood products, modernising fishing grounds and supporting coastal communities.
The plans also provide for the funding of actions to deal with crises and unforeseen events that disrupt the market. Already, a grant scheme has been implemented for the temporary cessation of fishing activities of multi-purpose vessels due to the health crisis, and a grant scheme to mitigate the effects of the sudden increase in the prices of key inputs due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine has started to be implemented.
In terms of the marine environment, the Programme supports the objectives of the Biodiversity Strategy and adopts the provisions of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. It includes important actions for the rational management of marine protected areas, for the monitoring of coastal habitats and species and for the promotion of scientific knowledge on marine-related issues. At the same time, it provides support for the implementation of management plans for NATURA 2000 sites and artificial reef areas.
In the new period of the Programme, funding will continue for the collection of data to monitor the state of the marine environment and fish stocks, as well as for further strengthening and staffing of the fisheries control and surveillance sector in protected areas.
With regard to the digital transition of the sector, the creation of the The development of the system is expected to achieve optimal use of available resources, correct any distortions observed in the operation of the Department and further improve the service to citizens.
Before concluding, and because numbers almost always tell the truth, I would like to note with emphasis that, through the implementation of the Programme, it is expected that more than 700, mainly small and medium-sized, enterprises will benefit, that jobs will increase by about 10% and the number of enterprises by 5%, and that about 2500 of our fellow citizens will benefit directly.
I wish, once again, to express my confidence in the successful implementation of the Marine, Fisheries and Aquaculture Operational Programme 2021-27. A Programme that was judged in all respects to be sound by the European Commission and therefore approved without delay by it, and which will make a decisive contribution to the further development of the blue economy in our country.
(ΕΠ/ΣΧ)
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