The European Commission’s Budget Commissioner Piort Serafin and Economic Affairs Commissioner Vladis Dombrovskis are calling for the immediate intervention of the European Commission’s Budget Commissioner Giorgos Avtias, a member of the European Parliament of the Southwestern Democratic Party, in view of the final phase of de-lignification in Western Macedonia, following requests from the Region, the mayors and the Chambers of Commerce of the region.
Mr. Avtias calls on the Commission to double the Fair Transition Fund and other European funds by 2035, due to the region’s high dependence on lignite.
The letter reads as follows:
“Dear Sir. Commissioners,
In my country, Greece, and in particular in the Region of Western Macedonia, a huge socio-economic adjustment is taking place, due to a change in the energy production model, i.e. the production of energy with a low lignite footprint.
Already, the Greek government has established policies for this transformation, such as the Fair Development Transition Programme, and has adopted special tax incentives in lignite areas (Florina, Kozani, Amyndeon, Ptolemaida and Megalopolis in the Peloponnese).
The residents of D. Macedonia’s residents, who have had a direct and universal occupational dependence on lignite, are calling for new direct and increased financial support, beyond what has been provided, in order to attract new investments and create jobs in sectors related to clean energy, crafts, trade, agriculture, tourism, technology, health, education and development in general.
For 70 years Western Macedonia has exploited lignite and supported the economy of the country and the region. It deserves your support. New focused policies are needed, driven by regional and local development.
Citizens are demanding, beyond the amounts allocated from the Greek state budget, a strong new impetus with additional resources and the implementation of the “Delinquency Clause”. This will make the transition both fair and more efficient for Western Macedonia and its inhabitants:
In view of all this, I ask you:
– Multiplication of funds up to 2035, the Fair Transition Fund and other European resources.
-Take immediate account of the specific disadvantages of the lignite regions and provide substantial support for Western Macedonia.”
