ESPA Programs 2014-2020

The implementation of the NSRF seeks to address the country's structural weaknesses that have led to the emergence of the economic crisis and to the economic and social problems it has created. In addition, the ESPA 2014-2020 is called upon to help achieve the national objectives vis-à-vis the Europe 2020 Strategy. Europe 2020 Strategy aims to promote development: The ESPA (Partnership for Growth Framework) 2014-2020 is the key strategic plan for the development of the country with the help of significant resources coming from the European Structural and Investment Funds (EDET) of the European Union.

• smart, more efficient investment in education, research and innovation,
• sustainable, thanks to the decisive transition to a low carbon economy, and
• inclusive, with a particular emphasis on job creation and poverty reduction.

The ESPA development vision

"Contributing to the revival of the Greek economy by upgrading and upgrading the country's productive and social fabric and creating and sustaining sustainable jobs, with a focus on extroverted, innovative and competitive entrepreneurship, with a view to enhancing social cohesion and sustainable development principles. . "

Financing priorities

1. Enhancing the competitiveness and extraversion of businesses, the transition to quality entrepreneurship with the cutting edge of innovation and increasing domestic added value

2. Development and utilization of human resources - active social inclusion

3. Environmental protection - Transition to an environmentally friendly economy

4. Development - modernization - integration of infrastructures for economic and social development

5. Improving the institutional competence and effectiveness of public administration and local government

Eight sectors have been identified at national level which will be given priority and are expected to have a greater share of the economic growth. These sectors are:

• Agro-nutrition
• Health - medicines
• Information and communication technologies
• Energy
• Environment and sustainable development
• Transport
• Materials - constructions
• Tourism, culture, creative industries

Another feature of the development planning for the 2014-2020 period is Integrated Spatial Investments. These are integrated spatial development tools for implementing development strategies in areas that have specific problems or are distinguished by significant developmental skills. In the context of Integrated Spatial Investments, it is possible to implement combined investments, which are financed by more than one Fund, with the aim of fully addressing the problems or making full use of the development potential of an area.

The ESPA 2014-2020 consists of 20 Programs, of which 7 are Sectoral and 13 Regional:

• Sectoral Programs cover one or more sectors and are geographical across the country
• The 13 Regional Operational Programs (RIPs), one for each of the Greek Regions, include actions of a regional scope.

Sectoral Operational Programs 
Operational Program "Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation" (EPANEK) 
Its purpose is to ensure investment-friendly response to human resources training and administrative reform needs.EPANEK's strategic goal is to enhance the competitiveness and extroversion of businesses, the transition to quality entrepreneurship, with a focus on innovation and the growth of domestic added value. It marks the main shift in the new development model which highlights productive, competitive and extroverted sectors such as tourism, agri-food sector, as well as processing and high value added domestic services, in order to increase the scale / size of units accelerate the introduction of new products / services that create competitive advantages in the country and individual regions and integrate new knowledge, producing high quality and competitive products Kd worldwide.

Operational Program "Transport Infrastructure, Environment and Sustainable Development" (YMPERA) 
This program mainly finances the basic transport and environmental infrastructure. A portion of the environmental budget is allocated to the 13 EAPs to be managed by the Regions for the implementation of mainly waste water management projects. The objectives of the OP "Transport Infrastructure, Environment and Sustainable Development 2014-2020" in the field of transport are to promote the integration of basic TEN-T infrastructures (road, rail, ports, airports), to promote combined transport and modernizing the transport system, improving road safety, and developing sustainable and environmentally friendly urban transport (sustainable urban transport) to enhance sustainable urban mobility. In the field of environment, the objectives are to protect and exploit the environment as a means of supporting the country's transition to an environmentally friendly economy, while supporting the creation of competitive advantages across all sectors of the economy, facilitating the attraction of investment and the provision of services. opportunities for doing business in the environmental field itself.

Operational Program "Human Resources Development - Education and Lifelong Learning" 
The program will contribute to the economic recovery by including comprehensive policies to support the creation of sustainable jobs, promote active integration into the labor market including the integration of vulnerable social groups, improve the efficiency of the Greek education system, strengthen its linkage education, training and lifelong learning with the labor market, with the main aim of reducing and / or eliminating the social consequences of the crisis, and / or and minimizing the costs caused by high unemployment.

Operational Program "Public Sector Reform" 
The effectiveness of public administration is a key priority for the country as it affects all levels of operation, production and development horizontally and is at the same time a precondition for effective implementation of reforms in all sectors. The OP will contribute to the national effort in the coming years for the Greek public administration to become coherent, well-coordinated, flexible, extroverted and result-oriented, restoring the state's trust relationship with citizens and businesses, providing a centrally-based and continuous service. thus making it one of the key pillars for the country's recovery.

Operational Program "Technical Assistance" 
The program is multidisciplinary (ERDF, ESF and CF) and aims to support the operation and implementation of all OPs financed by the Structural Funds.

Rural Development Program (RDP) at national level 
The RDP aims to achieve the integrated development and sustainable competitiveness of the rural area through the transition to a strong, sustainable agri-food system and to increase the added value of rural areas.

Fisheries and Maritime Operational Program 
The main objectives of the OP are to improve the competitiveness of the aquaculture and processing sectors, the sustainability of marine fisheries and the sustainable development of traditionally dependent areas. The program also addresses the need to protect and restore the marine environment and living resources, control fishing activities, collect fisheries data and improve knowledge of the marine environment.

In the framework of Cohesion Policy, European Territorial Cooperation (ESS) is a key tool for strengthening spatial cooperation in the European context, but also with third countries and is one of the main options for the 2014-2020 programming period. European territorial cooperation at EU Member State level is implemented through cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation programs. These programs are divided into bilateral and multilateral.

The 5 bilateral programs relate to co-operation with a number of countries neighboring Greece. Of these, three are members of the European Union (Cyprus, Bulgaria and Italy) and receive ERDF funding, while the other two are candidate Member States (Albania and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and are funded by the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance. (IPA).

Bilateral European Territorial Cooperation Programs are an important lever for the development of the regions involved on both sides of the border, in order to create a common European co-operation area in the wider Balkan region and the western and southern borders of the country.

The multilateral Territorial Cooperation Programs, which involve regions of our country, are:

• Adriatic-Ionian (transnational)
• MED (transnational)
• MED ENI CBC (cross-border)
• Black Sea basin ENI CBC (cross-border)
• INERREG EUROPE (Interregional)
• Balkan Meditteranean (transnational)

Greece also plays an essential role in shaping and implementing the Adriatic-Ionian Macro-Regional Strategy and is at the forefront of the Macro-Blue Development Pillar. This strategy, which is one of Europe's four macro-regional strategies, will be supported by the Adriatic-Ionian transnational program in its implementation.

Finally, Territorial Cooperation programs include the URBACT and ESPON partnership networks, as well as INTERACT, which provides technical support to all ECA programs in Europe.