Deficit down by 46%

According to the preliminary data available for the state budget implementation for the first six months of 2010, on a fiscal basis the deficit presented a 46% year-on-year decline against a targeted 39.5% in the government’s economic policy programme.

The fiscal result of the first six months of 2010 is due to both restriction of expenditures and revenue increases. Nevertheless, these do not yet fully reflect all fiscal measures included in the government’s programme for 2010.

Furthermore, ordinary budget expenditures declined by 12.8% year-on-year against a targeted 5.5% reduction and primary expenditures decreased by 12.7% against a targeted 5.4% annual decrease.

Hellenic Stability & Growth Newsletter: June 2010

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

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Black Sea Business Forum / Thessaloniki, 12 & 13 November 2009

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) The Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline is a significant project with geopolitical, economic and energy importance, Deputy Foreign Minister Spyros Kouvelis noted, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Black Sea Business Forum in Thessaloniki, on November 12. 
The 3rd Union of Black Sea and Caspian Confederation of Enterprises (UBCCE) business forum, entitled “Seizing New Investment and Trade Opportunities in the Black Sea and Caspian in the Post Crisis Era,” is being held in Thessaloniki on November 12-13.

It is hosted by the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises and the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece.
Addressing the event, Kouvelis stressed Greece’s commitment to the enhancement of co-operation with the European Union, through the establishment of “Black Sea Partnerships” within the “Black Sea Synergy” process, as well as through the new “Eastern Partnership” EU initiative.
Greece, he said, will have the chance to advance this perspective during the Greek Chairmanship of the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), which commences on June 1, 2010.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization

Global Wind Day – Invest in Greece

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  June 15^th is Global Wind Day. Invest in Greece Agency gives a detailed presentation of Greece’s potential in wind power investments.  Wind, or aeolic, power is driving growth in the renewables sector. The superb wind resources in Greece are among the most attractive in Europe.  Capacity increased by an average of 30% annually between 1990 and 2003 and almost 30% of total capacity was installed in the period of 2003-2004.  In terms of advantages of investing in wind energy, Greece offers high feed-in tariffs locked for 20 years, incentives up to as much as 60% of total investment cost, cash grants, leasing subsidies, wage subsidies or tax benefits. The government has also committed to attracting €6 billion by 2020 for energy production, achieving a target for wind park development at 2,600 MW by 2010 and 6,000 by 2020.

European Parliament Elections 2009

JUNE 4-7: EUROPEANS VOTE
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(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  In Greece, the European Parliament elections will take place on June 7.  In the member-states of the EU, where Greek citizens reside permanently or happen to be during the election period, the election will take place on June 6.  The Greek diplomatic authorities in those member-states must provide information regarding the precise election day, Greek citizens’ voting rights, as well as the electoral procedure to be followed. For the EU Election, the Greek Territory constitutes a united electoral region (22 seats).  In the other member-states, the elections will take place from June 4 to 7. The elections will be carried out with general, direct, secret voting, as stipulated.

WHY VOTE
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By voting in the European elections, the citizens choose who influences the future and the daily life of close to 500 million fellow Europeans.  The citizens’ participation in the decision-making process, at both local and European level, is set as a permanent and constant priority by the European Union.   Fully adopting the principles of equality and not discrimination, the Greek Ministry of Interior invites all EU citizens residing in Greece to exercise their right of vote.  European Parliament: Why Vote 

 

DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS
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The members of the European Parliament are elected under a pure proportional electoral system.Voting results from all over the country are processed and published by the Supreme Election Committee of the Ministry of Interior.  This Committee sets the final electoral vote chart and distributes the seats of the European Parliament to all the political groups, after incorporating the vote of Greek citizens residing in other EU member states into the general voting results achieved in the Greek State.

THE RIGHT TO CANDIDACY
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Greek citizens who have reached the age of 25 on the day of the election and have the ability to vote have the right to be elected to the European Parliament.  Every person who falls under the provisions of the article 56 § 1 and 4 of the Greek Constitution or is a member of the Greek Parliament is barred from the right to be nominated for candidacy.

  

ELECTORAL BODY

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According to the Ministry of Interior, 9,866,913 Greek citizens reside in Greece and have the right to vote on the June 7, while 110,562 young people will vote for the first time.  The Greek citizens who reside in other EU member states and have the right to vote on the June 6 total 36,758, according to the number of petitions filed at the Greek Consulates. The number of European citizens who reside in Greece and will vote in June amounts to 6,530.  For further information click here.

 

ELECTION CAMPAIGN
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The election campaign begins at least 30 days before the election date.  Political parties represented in the Greek Parliament or in the European Parliament and parties which obtained more than 1.5% of the national vote in the last parliamentary elections receive funding. Media access: All parties represented in the Greek Parliament or the European Parliament have proportional access to state-owned media. During the election campaign, opinion polls will be conducted and published until June 5. After that date, no transmission of political advertising messages and broadcasted pre-election dialogue is allowed.

FACILITATING CITIZENS & THE MEDIA _________________________________________

As of May 15, the Ministry of Interior has launched an advertising campaign to be completed one day before the elections date i.e. June 6, 2009.   The campaign’s slogan is “Vote in Euroelections. Defy indifference.” According to the Minister of the Interior, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, the main objective of this slogan is to inform citizens and encourage them to participate in the voting procedure.   Information on where to cast ballots can be easily acquired by calling the 4-digit number 1500, or visiting the ministry’s website at www.ypes.gr, or the public administration’s national portal: www.ermis.gov.gr/portal/page/portal/ermis/    A special television spot for Greek citizens and Hellenic media abroad, as well as the diaspora, is now posted on the websites of Greece’s communication & Press Offices in the rest of EU member states.   Furthermore, the Secretariat General of Information-Communication will set up a special EU Elections Press Centre at Zappeion Hall, in order to facilitate journalists and media covering the event. 

 

 

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS 2004 _____________________________________________

 

Previous European Parliament elections took place on June 13, 2004.  For more information about 2004 Euro-elections’ results, visit the website of Interior Ministry or the website of the European Parliament or the website of the Press and Communication Office in Paris http://www.amb-grece.fr/grece/europeennes.htm .

PARTIES PARTICIPATING

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 1. New Democracy   2. Panhellinic Socialist Movement     3. Greek Communist party   4. Coalition of the Radical left   5. Popular Orthodox Rally    6. Party of the Liberals   7. Fighting Socialist Party of Greece  8. Dimosthenis Vergis- Greek Ecologists   9. Working revolutionary party    10. Liberal alliance    11. Union of Centrists  12. Popular Nationalist Movement-Chrysi Avgi  13. Panhellenic Macedonian Front  14. Society 15. Popular Unions of Bipartisan Social Groups  16. M-L Greek Communist Party 17. European Alliance – Rainbow   18. Party of Greek Hunters    19. Left anticapitalist cooperation  20. Patriotic Humanitarian Movement  21. Youth Party    22. Green Ecologists  23. Action  24. OAKKE – Organisation for the Reconstruction of Communist Party of Greece  25. Greek Ecologists  26. Greek Unit   27. Greek Movement of Direct Democracy