Greece Gets EU Approval For New NSRF, Tourism To Receive Funding

Greece will receive funds for the country’s tourism promotion from the new National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) for the new programming period 2014-2020 that was approved on 23 May by the European Commission.

In April, Greek authorities submitted their new NSRF to the European Commission and described how they would invest EU funding of 20.8 billion euros.

The proposals Greece submitted involved the areas of Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Transport, Environment and Sustainable Development; Human Resources, Training and Lifelong learning; and Restructuring of the Public Sector.

Tourism among sectors to receive funding

Twenty-five percent of the total NSRF funds – some four billion euros – for 2014-2020 will be allocated to the operational program “Competiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation” and directed to the sectors of tourism, food and agriculture, the supply chain, the environment, health-pharmaceutical industry, energy, materials-constructions, information and communication technologies and creative-cultural industries.

In regards to tourism, funds from the new NSRF will be used for tourism promotion purposes and to support five special forms of tourism: congress, medical-health, culture, maritime and city.

The funds will also be used to strengthen training and education in tourism and to boost employment in the sector.

Greece is the third Member State (after Denmark and Germany) to have reached agreement with the European Commission on the new NSRF for the new programming period 2014-2020.