FARNET
Fisheries Areas Network

Country Factsheet

Greece - 33 FLAGs - 70 M€

Ninety percent of Greece’s population of 11 million inhabitants lives in coastal areas. Hence, fisheries and aquaculture have a strong socio-economic importance in Greek society. The types of projects to be supported by the 33 Greek FLAGs include activities to increase the added value of fisheries products; support for diversification, such as small-scale tourism and short sea shipping; educational projects; activities to enhance and capitalize on the environmental assets of fisheries areas; promoting social wellbeing and maritime cultural heritage in fisheries areas.

CLLD Programme

CLLD Context: 

Fisheries in Greece is typically multi-gear and multi-species and the Greek fishing fleet has more vessels than any other fleet in the EU (15 693 in 2014 ). However, it accounts for only around the 4.6% of the EU’s capacity as 94% of its vessels undertake small-scale coastal fishing of limited capacity. In 2013 there were a total of 22 546 people employed in fisheries sector  but the sector faces a number of weaknesses including the age of its fleet (the average vessel age is 27 years), low competitiveness and economic performance, lack of infrastructure, ageing fishermen and inadequate training.

Aquaculture, on the other hand, is growing fast in Greece, representing a major share of national fish production and contributing significantly to the Greek economy. In 2013 aquaculture production was estimated at 113 852 tonnes with a value of €435 398 000. European sea bass and gilthead sea bream are key species with 65% of all sea bass and gilthead sea bream farmed in the EU in 2012 being produced in Greece. In 2013 there were a total of 4 115 people employed in the aquaculture sector. Efforts are required, however, to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector by promoting innovation, better environmental protection, the acquisition of new skills and a more open playing field.

There is also significant scope to improve processing and marketing of fisheries products in Greece where 147 small and medium sized enterprises employed 2 330 people in 2012. In particular, support for investments in new technology and processing systems, for the development of new and improved products, accessing new markets and better positioning in existing markets could help the processing sector’s economic performance and sustainability.

Having implemented the LEADER rural development programme since the early 1990s, Greece has a long tradition of bottom-up local development and fisheries CLLD has the potential to build on this experience to address some of the weaknesses in its fisheries and aquaculture sector and to build links with other sectors (science, tourism…) to diversify its activities.

Contact details of the managing authority can be found here.

More information about national EMFF programmes can be found here.

 

 

Axis 4 achievements (2007-2013): 

In the previous programming period, Greece had a total of eleven FLAGs, both in mainland coastal areas and on small and remote islands.  The local development strategies developed by the FLAGs focused largely on diversification, and in particular on the following themes:

  • Private investments by fishers for the diversification of economic activities outside the fisheries sector
  • Private investments by non-fishers for the sustainable development of fisheries areas (eco-tourism, accommodation facilities, services for the benefit of small fisheries communities etc.)
  • Public investments for tourism-related infrastructure and services as well as infrastructure contributing to the quality of life in fisheries areas and the renovation of villages.

Forty-nine public projects were funded and 237 private projects. Overall, Axis 4 contributed to strengthening the competitiveness and attractiveness of these fisheries areas; diversifying fishing and supporting new economic activities; and adding value to and promoting the consumption of local fisheries products.

CLLD objectives and challenges for 2014-2020: 

Community-Led Local Development under the EMMF aims to add value to the fisheries sector at local level and help increase employment and territorial cohesion in fisheries and aquaculture dependent areas.

The main challenge that CLLD will have to address in Greece’s fisheries areas in the coming years is achieving sustainable development while halting certain negative developments in the coastal areas and islands where Greece’s fishing activities are concentrated. These areas are often characterized by demographic pressure, socio-economic problems and a lack of basic infrastructure. Well targeted and integrated local development strategies are needed to build on the natural assets of many of these areas and their attractiveness as tourist destinations to foster more sustainable models of development in coastal communities.  

The objectives laid down for CLLD in Greece in 2014-2020 include:

  • Promoting economic development and social inclusion  
  • Creating new jobs in coastal communities that depend on fisheries and aquaculture
  • Diversifying activities within and outside fisheries, including in other sectors of the marine economy and promoting the sustainable development of related products

Indicative types of interventions include activities to increase the valued added of fisheries products and innovations along the fisheries and aquaculture supply chain; support for diversification such as small-scale tourism and short sea shipping; educational projects for lifelong learning; activities to enhance and capitalize on the environmental assets of fisheries areas; promoting social well-being and maritime cultural heritage in fisheries areas. The exchange of best practices through transnational and interregional networking is also foreseen among Fisheries Local Action Groups.

Compared to 2007-2013, the total budget for CLLD has been increased from 42M€ to over 70M€ and the number of FLAG strategies approved has also increased from 11 to 33 (implemented by 30 FLAGs ). Given the increased number of FLAGs, the average budget per FLAG strategy is lower than in the previous period (down from an average of 3.8M€ to just over 2M€).

Multi-fund CLLD in Greece

The Managing Authority organised a single call for FLAGs and LEADER LAGs and candidates were invited to present an overarching strategy for the two funds, including a specific section for rural development and a specific section for the EMFF component. Of the 33 FLAG strategies selected in Greece, 31 are being implemented by multi-funded groups managing LEADER as well as fisheries CLLD. Only Kavala and Iraklion FLAGs will implement a purely EMFF funded strategy. 

CLLD Budget

Total budget: 
€70 500 000
  • EMFF budget for CLLD: 
    €59 925 000
  • Co-funding: 
    €10 575 000
  • Proportion of CLLD in EMFF budget: 
    19%
Number of FLAGs: 
33
Average budget per FLAG: 
€2 136 364

National Network

Click here for the National Network contact details.

Cooperation

For the EMFF funding period, 8 cooperation projects were reported by the managing authority by December 2021. Cooperation was strongly encouraged in Greece and the proposal of at least one (inter-territorial or transnational) cooperation project was a compulsory element of the application process for candidate FLAGs to receive EMFF funding. Cooperation among Greek FLAGs around pesca-tourism was a key theme.

For information on how cooperation was programmed and organised in Greece, click here.

 

FLAGs

Code Name Region Surface area (km²) Population Population density (per km²) Employment in fisheries*
GR201 Evros FLAG 329 6773 21 54
GR202 Rodopi FLAG 845 17832 21 278
GR203 Kavala City FLAG
East Macedonia and Thrace
117 58790 500 306
GR204 Thassos and Κavala prefecture FLAG 884 35784 40 328
GR205 Halkidiki FLAG
Central Macedonia
419 12558 30 191
GR206 East Thessaloniki FLAG
Central Macedonia
296 48496 164 555
GR207 West Thessaloniki FLAG
Central Macedonia
154 13326 87 188
GR208 Pieria FLAG
Central Macedonia
140 30188 216 297
GR209 Kozani FLAG
West Macedonia
607 14905 25 14
GR210 Ipeirios - Ioannina FLAG
Epirus
262 22203 85 205
GR211 Ionian Islands FLAG 137 16010 117 179
GR212 South Ipeiros Amvrakikoy FLAG
Epirus
552 42771 82 394
GR213 Trixonida FLAG 1496 41983 28 318
GR214 Aitoliki FLAG 856 57034 67 505
GR215 Ahaia FLAG
West Greece
742 91574 123 115
GR216 Olympias FLAG
West Greece
607 45702 75 241
GR217 Messinia FLAG
Peloponnese
282553 16482 58 119
GR218 Parnonas FLAG 1726 66011 38 567
GR219 Attiki island FLAG 879 74651 85 380
GR220 Central and North Evia FLAG 171981 90463 53 578
GR221 South Evia & Skyros FLAG
Centarl Greece
154587 40975 27 578
GR222 Pillio FLAG
Thessaly
303 15151 50 224
GR223 Lemnos FLAG 527 17262 33 123
GR224 Lesvos FLAG
North Aegean
1642 86436 52 1295
GR225 Chios FLAG
North Aegean
907 45951 100 297
GR226 Samos FLAG
North Aegean
781 42859 55 950
GR227 Dodecanese FLAG
South Aegean
2695 140352 52 793
GR228 Cyclades FLAG
South Aegean
2553 118027 46 483
GR229 Chania FLAG
Crete
691 30126 44 106
GR230 Rethymno FLAG
Crete
356 13155 37 23
GR231 Crete Messara Gulf FLAG
Crete
275 10840 39 16
GR232 Northern and South East Crete FLAG
Crete
300 22530 75 31
GR233 Lassithi FLAG
Crete
1758 63026 36 112
(*)according to the information received from the FLAG

Contact details

Organisation Contacts

[MA Nat GR] Hellenic Republic Ministry for Rural Development and Food
Ms. Maria Bertaki
+30 21 3150 1178
Greece

Map

Publication date: 
15/12/2021
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