Stylianides hails EU support for green makeover for Greek ferries and ports
But ‘tough’ funding negotiations ongoing, says Greece’s shipping minister
Greece estimates $2bn needed for the sector by 2027-2028
SATISFACTION with the results of efforts so far to line up European co-funding for Greece’s coastal shipping policy priorities has been voiced by the country’s Minister of Shipping & Island Policy Christos Stylianides.
Significant European funding has already been secured through the current seven-year NSRF and other sources in order start implementing key policy initiatives, Stylianides told a conference in Athens this week.
However, he underlined, there was now need for “immediate” renewal of the coastal shipping fleet with newly-built greener vessels on which connections between the country’s islands and mainland depend.
“The need for the green transition of passenger shipping must be combined with safety, modernisation and upgrading of port facilities and infrastructure,” he said.
The ministry has estimated that overhauling the fleet and ports will require €2bn ($2.1bn) by 2027-2028.
A masterplan for renewal of the ageing ferry fleet with environmentally-friendly vessels has been commissioned and is expected to be ready by June this year.
Additional priorities included a digital passenger rights portal, a digital system of allocating time slots for port departures and arrivals, development of a co-operative cluster to enhance competitiveness, and reorganising and modernising the ministry itself, including the coastguard.
Stylianides was speaking shortly after returning from Brussels and a series of meetings with members of the new European Commission.
His schedule included get-togethers with Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostols Tzitzikostas, commission executive vice-president Rafaelle Fitto, Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis and Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica.
Officials reaffirmed the new EC’s commitment to continue backing projects aimed at modernising shipping and port infrastructure in an environmentally sustainable way.
Although Stylianides said that sourcing of funding for the sector’s transition was going well, the negotiations were “continuing” and “tough”.
“But I believe that here too, we will have some results that will greatly help our major initiatives,” he added.
The minister has put particular emphasis on developing public-private partnerships for introducing greener vessels on public-service routes connecting destinations that would otherwise be uneconomic to serve.
A pilot project was announced last year to support the strengthening of so-called unprofitable lines to smaller and remote islands with greener ships drawing on €80m ($82.2m) of funding under the European Regional Development Fund.
If the model proves successful, this may be expanded to an amount of €400m, according to the ministry.