Metios' report on the completion of the ESPA

Announcement of 3 new calls for proposals for the enhancement of employment and entrepreneurship by the outgoing Regional Governor of EMTh.

Today, on 21 December, the Regional Governor of EMTh Christos Metios made a statement regarding the completion of the ESPA 2014-2020 and the activation of the ESPA 2021-2027. He also proceeded to the announcement of 3 new calls for the strengthening of employment and entrepreneurship.

In detail:
"A. Among the most important challenges faced by our Administration during its term of office were:
- the full use of the resources of the ESPA for the period 2014-2020; and
- The most important achievements of the European Commission in the period 2014-2020 have been the adoption and activation of the (new) ESPA for the period 2021-2027.
It is not only the significant financial resources that the two above mentioned financial instruments make available to our region, but mainly the fact that these resources were and are available during a critical period of prolonged and successive intense crises:

Recall:
- The financial crisis of 2015 (with the closed banks),
- the migration crisis,
- the health crisis Covid 19
- but also the new economic-energy crisis due to the war in Ukraine
So, all these years, through the completed NSRF (2014-2020) more than 1,900 projects (i.e. Public Works, Procurement, Services and also entrepreneurship actions) have been funded - not counting the approximately 22 thousand businesses supported to address the negative effects of the COVID health crisis.

Specifically from the 2014-2020 NSRF of the Region:
- We financed the operation of Social Structures to support our fellow human beings with needs such as in the field of Food, Support for Persons with Disabilities, Structures to address violence against women, Community Centres, Shelters for Supported Living, etc.
- we supported the creation of new businesses and the strengthening of existing ones, we especially supported the creation of new tourism businesses
- we supported enterprises to cooperate with research and academic institutions to create new innovative products
- we have strengthened all health structures (all the hospitals in our Region with modern equipment and human resources, the health centres, the ambulance service, the 4th Health Region)
- we financed all levels of education with infrastructure and equipment, primary schools, secondary schools, high schools and of course the Democritus University of Thrace and the International University
- we supported households in our region for energy upgrading interventions in their homes as well as energy upgrading of public buildings
- in the environmental sector - we upgraded water supply networks, wastewater treatment facilities and projects contributing to the rational management of solid waste
- reinforced the Fire Brigade, the Hellenic Police and the Ministry of National Defence with modern equipment to address the negative impacts of climate change
- we worked to protect and promote the tourist and cultural heritage of our region with significant interventions in monuments and archaeological sites
- improved road safety on the national and provincial network
- supported the cities of our region with projects to improve the urban environment and the daily life of citizens
all of the above corresponds to projects:
- €840 million budget (183%, almost double the total of the current NSRF of €457 million),
- with contracts of €703 million; and
- payments of €473 million (absorption rate of 104%) with a forecast to reach 105% by the end of the year). We have managed to place our Region in the top 3-4 positions in the absorption of funds for the period 14-20.

Thus, we declare that the Region's NSRF for the period 14-20 has been safely completed, fully absorbing the available resources and delivering useful projects to the citizens of our region.
We therefore leave an important legacy to the new administration.
Β. At the same time, we have also fully activated the (new) NSRF of our Region for the period 2021-2027.
An NSRF of 639 million € increased by 182 million € compared to the completed NSRF of the Region of the period (14-20).

So far:
- We have activated calls, at a rate approaching 60% (around €400 million)
- 71 projects with a budget of €115 million have been included and the full settlement of all transferred projects is expected by the end of February, which will bring additional contracts of €240 million.
- And we already have €18 million in payments and additional payments of +€13 million will be generated (5% absorption rate).
Thus creating a forward programme.
- We have proceeded to update the Integrated Spatial Investment "Egnatia Road Tourist - Cultural Route" with an initial budget of €74 million (€34 million as ongoing and €40 million new interventions).
- In cooperation with the 6 Municipalities of the Region (Orestiada, Alexandroupoli, Komotini, Xanthi, Kavala and Drama) we prepared the Sustainable Urban Development Strategies with a total budget of about € 90 million.
- We outlined in the programme the need to prepare a new SEA with a unifying element of environment in the Rhodope Mountains and the Nestos River.
So we believe that this is a good start, but there is certainly much more to be done.
Γ. Regarding the 3 new actions we have planned, I announce that they have been approved by both the European Commission and Special State Aid Agency and can be published immediately and the submission of proposals can start from February 2024.
Another one of the main challenges facing the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is the preservation and development of its Human Resources - especially young children who, after completing their studies, leave in search of a job in another region in another region or in another country.

So, with the aim of retaining this potential - our young children - and why not give some of them the opportunity to return, we have designed and are implementing two new calls funded by the European Social Fund which concern:

C.1) to help businesses to recruit young - unemployed - highly qualified young people by covering their wage costs for 24 months.
It has a total budget of up to € 15.0 million and finances enterprises operating in specific sectors to recruit unemployed persons (1 to 3) according to their existing staff for 24 months.
In particular, the call foresees, depending on the educational level, the coverage of salary costs as follows:

The evaluation of applications is immediate
and provision is made for the gradual addition of business sectors depending on the available budget and the demand for the action.
In the first phase it will include enterprises active in
- in the agri-food and food industry
- construction materials
- high technology (electronic components and computers)
- In the health sector (pharmaceuticals)
- Some sectors of the wholesale trade
In the first phase, it is expected that around 300 people and 250 enterprises will benefit.

C.2) to help unemployed people to set up a business in the fields of the Smart Specialisation Strategy.
It has a total budget of up to € 6.0 million and finances business plans from € 10,000 to € 50,000 at a rate of 80% to 100% in case the business plan provides for the employment of one person (unemployed).
It can cover:
- Staff salary costs
- Expenditure on equipment, means of transport
- Costs for Buildings, Facilities & Surrounding Area
- Expenditure on Facilities, Equipment, Facilities & Equipment, Facilities & Equipment, Facilities & Facilities, Equipment & Facilities, etc.
- Operating Costs for Facilities, Equipment, Facilities and Services
- Software costs
- Expenditure on advertising, promotion & networking

Beneficiaries are:
Companies whose shareholders/partners/owners have been unemployed for at least 3 months. This category also includes holders of a professional licence who have not started a profession (e.g. doctors, engineers, lawyers, economists, etc.).
The assessment of applications is comparative, using evaluation criteria:
- The duration of unemployment.
- The duration of unemployment: the length of unemployment; the length of unemployment; the length of time spent in unemployment.
- The following criteria are also given priority to business plans that have been developed/matured through Entrepreneurship Support Structures (Incubators) that operate both within and outside the Region of AMTH.
It is expected that approximately 200 investment projects will be supported.

C.3) and the third concerns:
to support the industries of our region to improve their energy efficiency.
The increase in energy costs, as a result of the energy crisis, is a major risk that threatens the viability of businesses, especially in our Region, as it disproportionately affects not only the cost of production but also the cost of transporting goods and commodities.
Therefore, we have designed and implemented a call to support existing manufacturing enterprises to improve their energy efficiency.
We are therefore funding businesses to replace energy-intensive equipment in their production process with the aim of saving at least 20% of the energy they consume.
Funding can go up to 100% - upon meeting the energy saving target,
the budget of each investment project can be up to € 1.000.000
and the total budget of the call is €25 million.
This action is planned to be extended to other sectors - beyond manufacturing (e.g. tourism businesses).

In conclusion, I would therefore like to say that we are leaving an important legacy, an important project as a result of the use of European funds, which must be continued.
At this point I would also like to thank all the beneficiaries (Municipalities, Ministries, Social Bodies, Hospitals, Associations, Enterprises) for the good cooperation we have had over the years, whose contribution has been important in achieving the objectives of the NSRF Programmes.
I would also like to thank for their help and support the National Authorities of the NSRF of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance and the Services of the European Commission for their continuous - daily support.

Finally, I would like to thank the staff of the Special Management Service of the NSRF, and in particular the head of the Service, Mr. Panagiotis Koudoumakis, for the excellent cooperation we had.