European sustainable development rural actor database


Greece

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Coordinate
Language:
Greek

Currency:
Euro
Area:
131,957.00

Population:
11.10

Density:
84.60

GIP:
181

GIP per cap.:
16,339.00

Political regime:
Republic

Head of State:
M. Karolos Papoulias (Greek Socialist Party – Pasok)
Head of governement:
M. Kostas Caramanlis (New democracy)
Eutropean Union Membership:
1981
National anthem:
Imnos pros tin Eleftherian (Hymn to Freedom)
Generals Informations


Administrative organization
Rural life
Sustainability


Administrative organization

Form of State: unitary State.
The State has general powers in matters coming under national sovereignty, particularly in the areas of national defence, foreign affairs, finance and justice; together with areas other than the administration of local affairs.
Interesting ministries:

  • Ministry of Development. Minister: M. Dimitris Sioufas. In charge of energy and natural resources.
  • Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works. Minister: M. Georgios Souflias. In charge in particular of sustainable development, conserving ecosystems, natural parks and environmental education.
  • Ministry of Rural Development and Food. Minister: M. Evangélos Bassiakos. The ministry website particularly insists on agrotourism, structural funds and young farmers.

Administrative units

Name

Number

Competences

NUTS 1

Groups of development regions

4

NUTS 2

Periferies (regions)

13

The 13 regions are simple sub-divisions of the State. Their responsibilities are: a) regional

development and b) vertical coordination of economic policy. The region today is the only level of decentralised State administration; it participates in national planning and draws up, plans and implements economic, social and cultural development policies.

NUTS 3

Nomoi (2nd level of administrative decentralisation)

51

Established by a 1994 law, second-level prefectural self-government institutions are public-law legal entities responsible for the economic, social and cultural development of the area.

LAU 1

Dimoi (towns, urban municipalities) / koinotites (communes, rural municipalities)

1034 (900 urban municipalities and 134 rural ones)

In January 1999, 900 municipalities and 133 communes covering the whole of the country came into being. They are public-law legal persons and are responsible for local affairs. Their primary task is to promote the social and economic progress of their inhabitants and protect their cultural and spiritual interests.

LAU 2

Demotiko diamerisma/koinotiko diamerisma

6130

Total public expenditure: € 84.5 billions = 46.7% GDP.
Sub-national public expenditure: € 5.6 billions = 3.1% GDP = 6.7% total public expenditure.

Rural life

Utilized agricultural area: 28.8% total area, i.e. about 38,003 km2.
Rural population: 41% total population.
Labour force in agriculture: 610,000 Annual Work Units (AWU).
Unemployment rate by degree of urbanisation:

  • Densely populated areas: 10.4%
  • Intermediate areas: 9.6%
  • Thinly populated areas: 9%

Employment rate by degree of urbanisation:

  • Densely populated areas: 59.4%
  • Intermediate areas: 60.6%
  • Thinly populated areas: 62.4%

Youth unemployment ratio by degree of urbanisation:

  • Densely populated areas: 7.9%
  • Intermediate areas: 10.3%
  • Thinly populated areas: 11.4%
  • Total: 8.8%

Share of organic area in total utilised agricultural area: 7.2%.

Sustainability

The Greek National Sustainable Development Strategy was adopted in June 2002 with a time horizon for its full implementation by 2010. While the strategy covers the three dimensions of sustainable development, it states as its purpose to provide clear directions for achieving “environmentally sustainable policies in the country”, thus insisting on environmental issues. Key objectives of the NSDS are:

  • Reduction of environmental pressures: climate change abatement, reduction of air pollutants, reduction and management of solid waste, water resources management, desertification abatement, protection of biodiversity and ecosystems, sustainable forest management
  • Promotion of social solidarity policies: combat exclusion from employment opportunities, better opportunities for women in the labour market, exclusion from public goods, prevention of exclusion risk, protection of vulnerable population groups
  • Integration of the environmental dimension in sectoral policies: spatial policies, energy sector, transport, agriculture and fisheries, industry, tourism, employment
  • Horizontal actions: use of economic instruments to “get prices right”, better collection, processing and dissemination of information on environmental parameters. Institutional and administrative reforms are to ensure the implementation of the NSDS, development of modern infrastructures to improve resource efficiency and encouragement of investment in technology, human capital and organisational improvement of businesses.
  • International actions: international and bilateral co-operation are enhanced through participation in international organisation, such as the UN and the OECD (EU is not mentioned).

The Ministry for the Environment has the overall responsibility regarding NSDS monitoring. However, implementation of the proposed activities is to be promoted by the responsible sectoral Ministries.
Environmental protection expenditure in the public sector: 0.6 % of GDP, i.e. 67 € per capita.
Government expenditure on environment protection, in % of GDP: 0.7%.
Government expenditure on environment protection, in % of total government expenditure: 1%.
Area protected under the Habitats Directive as a percentage of total area: 16.4%.