Country Report Greece
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Directorate General XVI Pictures or Graphics can appear here if required, but if not delete this graphic box! Directorate General XVI Prepared by: …………………………… Approved by: ……………………………… Type name here Type name here Title goes here Title goes here Reviewed by: …………………………… (OFT only) Type name here Title goes here Job No: Telephone: +44 (0) 121 262 1900 Beaufort House Fax: +44 (0) 121 262 1999 94/96 Newhall Street Reference: Website: http://www.oscarfaber.co.uk Birmingham B3 1PB Date: 05 February 2000 Thematic Study of Transport: Country Report Greece Contents GR Country Report - Greece 1 GR.1 Progress Towards Implementation of the Operational Programme 1 GR.1.1 Transport Policy and Strategy Review 1 GR.1.2 Transport and Economic Development Indicators 8 GR.1.3 Operational Programme Expenditure 9 GR.1.4 Implementation Progress 9 GR.2 Evaluation of the Operational Programme 13 GR.2.1 Introduction 13 GR.2.2 General Indicators 13 GR.2.3 Roads Infrastructure 15 GR.2.4 Airport Infrastructure 16 GR.2.5 Port Infrastructure 17 GR.2.6 Rail Infrastructure 17 GR.2.7 Other Actions within Access and Road Sub Programme 19 GR.2.8 Attiko Metro 19 GR.2.9 Regional Development Impacts 20 GR.2.10 Employment and CSF for Transport 22 GR.2.11 Environmental Impacts 23 GR.2.12 Institutional Factors 28 Thematic Study of Transport: Country Report Greece GR Country Report - Greece GR.1 Progress Towards Implementation of the Operational Programme GR.1.1 Transport Policy and Strategy Review The transport infrastructure is very important for the overall development of the country. However, the Greek transport infrastructure is falling behind the other member states of the European Union. The railway system is underdeveloped and has not changed significantly over the past 50 years. The Greek government is, through the implementation of projects, aiming to improve the Greek transport infrastructure, to fulfil the main objectives of the National Transport Policy. In order to improve the transport system of the country, the Greek government made important decisions considering future transport development. The Greek Ministry of Transport and Communications has recently introduced a new reform programme, which includes changes and measures such as: • Reorganisation of the Ministry’s structure; • Reduction of the burden of procedures; • Removing unnecessary regulations; and • Publishing Customer Charters. The Special Secretariat of the Ministry of Transport and Communications was established and started to operate in 1997. Among its responsibilities is the operational co-ordination and rapid activation of services for the faster identification and solution of issues falling within the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, specifically: • Railway Transport – OSE; • Air transport – Olympic Airways, Y.P.A.; • Passengers transport – OASTH, KTEL; • Merchandise transport – motorists, forwarders; and • Telecommunications – O.T.E. Greece also participates in several initiatives, which contribute to the improvement of the Greek transport infrastructure. These are described below. SECI (Southeast European Co-operative Initiative) aims at the development of regional co-operation and stability of the countries of Southeast Europe, through common confrontation of economic and environmental problems. All the Southeast European countries participate in SECI. The initiative is supported by the USA, the EU, the UN with its 1 Thematic Study of Transport: Country Report Greece Economic Committee for Europe. This initiative has particular importance for Greece, especially in the sensitive area of transport). SETREF (Southeast European Transport Research Forum) consists of 9 member organisations from 7 countries. Its aim is to promote co-operation in the field of Transport among organisations in its member countries, increase the mobility of researches for transfer of know-how and experience and provide documentation and advice to governments, financial institutions, transport operators of all kinds and consultants interested in transport in this area. In Greece, which has received direct aid from EU under two Community Support Framework Programmes (CSF’s), the percentage of resources devoted to the Transport sector was 35% of all resources within the Support Framework. ERDF support for transport infrastructure in Greece is divided into three main sub programmes: • roads, ports and airports; • rail transport; and • urban development. Road, Ports and Airports This sub-programme comprises two main elements: • the construction of more than 1,000 kilometres of motorway in two main road corridors; the Patras-Athens-Thessonaliki corridor (the Pathe route) and the Igoumenitsa-Thessaloniki-Kipi corridor (the Via Egnatia route); and • the modernisation of major ports and airports. The PATHE and Egnatia motorways are benefiting from part financing by concession (PPP) agreements. Rail Transport The rail infrastructure programme comprises six main elements: • completion of modern infrastructure on the Athens-Thessaloniki-Idomeni line, with the exception of a particularly difficult and costly 60 kilometre stretch. Efforts will focus on this measure, which will bring journey time down from five hours 50 minutes to four hours 20 minutes and complements any project financed by the Cohesion Fund; • supply of rolling stock and maintenance equipment; • improvements on other lines; 2 Thematic Study of Transport: Country Report Greece • railway links with the cargo port at Kavala; • horizontal measures and specific studies; and • management and monitoring of the programme and technical assistance. Urban Development This sub-programme is concerned with the construction of two metro (underground) routes in Athens. The specific schemes comprise: • completion of the basic project on line 2 (Sepolia-Daphni, 12 stations over 9.2 kilometres) and line 3 (Kerameikos-Pentagono, nine stations over 8.4 kilometres); • flanking construction projects; and • project management and monitoring, including a contract with a specialist consultant. Cohesion Fund Projects – Greece Cohesion Fund support in Greece has focussed largely on two major motorway projects namely the PATHE motorway and the Via Egnatia motorway. Other non-roads schemes benefiting from Cohesion Fund assistance include: • Thriassio-Elefsis-Corinth railway line; • Thriassio station; and • Spata airport. 3 Thematic Study of Transport: Country Report Greece National Administrative Structure The Table GR.1 summarises the responsibilities of the National Ministries in Greece. Table GR.1 National Ministries Greece Ministry of Planning, Environment and Construction, design, maintenance Public Works (roads, ports, airports – heliports) Ministry of National Economy Financial programming, planning, financial management (all modes of transport) Ministry of Transport and Operators’ licenses, operations, fare Telecommunications policy, competition Ministry of Merchant Maritime Ports, competition in maritime, fare policy, safety procedures Ministry of Public Order Public order The policy linkages between National Transport Policies, the Community Support Frameworks (CSF) the Operational programmes for transport (OPT) and the specific measures in the OPT are shown Table GR.2. 4 Thematic Study of Transport: Country Report Greece Policy Linkages Table GR.2 Review of Transport Policy and Strategy Linkages – Member State – Greece 1. NATIONAL POLICY COMMUNITY SUPPORT FRAMEWORK • Reduction of disadvantages due to • Reduction of the degree of the geographic peripherality of peripherality through Greece within the EU area development and improvement • Development of the country into a of the present networks’ main Balkan gate of the infrastructure Mediterranean and to the Middle • Improvement to living conditions • East Development of the • Establish direct access from the competitiveness in the economic Greek mainland and reduce travel sector time in the land transportation • Human resources development corridors and promotion of employment • • Development and improvement of Reduction of regional imparities the transport infrastructures, in order ! and removal of the isolation of the to reduce the impacts of the island areas - OP for 13 regions regional isolation (islands) 1. Eastern Macedonia and Thrace • Modernisation of the transport 2. Central Macedonia infrastructure (mainly rail) 3. Western Macedonia • Improvement of quality, costs, time, 4. Epirus safety and negative impacts of 5. Thessalia transport on environment 6. Ionian Islands 7. Western Greece 8. Sterea Ellada 9. Attiki 10. Northern Aegean 11. Southern Aegean 12. Crete " 5 Thematic Study of Transport: Country Report Greece Operational Programme Measures 1. Roads Aims Measures Expected Outcome • Qualitative • Continuous construction • Completion of sections of improvement and of the two big PATHE and Egnatia examination of the motorways – PATHE and • Increased road safety services provided by EGNATIA • Connection to the TENs road transport • Conversion of 215 km of • Travel time savings • Reduction of the PATHE into a motorway • Increased capacity of the physical obstacles, (section Korinthos – network such as long distances Thessaloniki, until the and deficiency of the end of 1999) common borders with • Construction of the new other EU countries, section of Egnatia, from Development of Igoumenitsa to infrastructures, which Thessaloniki and section will allow the from Thessaloniki – Kipi convergence of the • Construction of the Greek economy with sections of the Western other EU countries