Absorption of EU funds gets ever tougher
The awarding of the contracts of several major projects, as well as the achievement of progress on the Exoikonomo subsidy program are the biggest issues pending for the submission of the fourth request for payments from the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Fund, now set by the government in April.
These projects are included in the so-called milestones – i.e. the prerequisites for the fourth tranche of 3.3 billion euros and include the following, among several others: the redevelopment of Votanikos in Athens, the pedestrian promenade on the Athenian Riviera, and the announcement of the temporary contractor for the concession of the Hania-Iraklio section of the Cretan highway.
These important issues confirm the concern that over time it will become more and more difficult to absorb the RRF resources, because the milestones are no longer only reforms and the passing of laws, but also include project assignments, that stumble over the inadequacy of the state and the local government.
Therefore the Finance Ministry is fighting a “daily battle,” officials say, to complete the milestones on time, but often without a tangible result.
