Projects that due to delays cannot be completed with funding from the TAA, as well as the new priorities of Athens and Brussels, should be assimilated by the NSRF 2021-2027, which is also in the revision phase until the end of the year.
The scope for major changes is small. Competent sources admit that for new projects, the funds available from the NSRF in its current allocation do not exceed 300 million euros. Consequently, if more resources are needed to assimilate TAA projects, some of the integrated NSRF projects, for the period up to and including 2027 (and an implementation horizon up to 2030), will have to wait to be integrated into the next programming period, if they want to receive Community funding.
In the context of the revision of the program, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade with the co-responsible ministries, in addition to the projects that will be completed now or transferred to the next period, must also decide whether and to what extent they will be able to finance the new priorities set by the EU.
As is known, in a text - directive for the revision of the current period, the Commission sets as priorities the financing of affordable housing, investments in defense infrastructure, and investments in technologies that are part of the objectives of the European Strategic Technology Platform (STEP).
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development emphasizes that they want to find a comprehensive plan – and of course the necessary funds – to promote a program that will increase the supply of housing. This can only be done by de-integrating NSRF projects and redirecting resources to this specific action.
A useful option is also the support for STEP investments, since they can assimilate digital projects from the Recovery Fund, which are experiencing delays and, unfortunately, will have to be included in the NSRF to be completed with community funding.
However, any move to redirect resources will be difficult, as the programming period has projects "carried over" from the previous period, and the individual programs do not have resources for new projects.
NSRF like TAA
More radical will be the changes for the next programming period (2028-2034), which will be finalized in 2027, when Greece will hold the rotating presidency of the EU.
In the next period, the nominal funds for Greece will be approximately the same as those of the current period (approximately 46 billion euros) but at current prices.
In constant prices, however, the money will be less for the NSRF, but also for the next CAP which continues to have great importance for the Greek economy. Another change which will threaten to cause a “culture shock” for the Greek data, will be the Central allocation of resources. In other words, the money will not be at the disposal of the regions or ministries, which will have to propose the projects they will finance. The current implementing bodies will acquire a “supervisory” role for projects which will be decided both as a physical object and for the budget, based on the agreement that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will make with Brussels. Just as is the case today with the Recovery Fund.
The next move for the new community budget, and therefore the new NSRF, will take place at the end of the month.
photo by sweetlouise, https://pixabay.com
