Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed satisfaction on Thursday afternoon with results of a special European Council meeting in Brussels the same day, especially an expected increase in the funding Athens receives to deal with the migration problem at its and the EU’s external borders.
EU leaders gathered in Brussels to discuss “pressing issues,” including the war in Ukraine and the “multiannual budget framework.”
Mitsotakis also hailed the revision of the Union’s multiannual budget guidelines as well as a deal to funnel more financial assistance to besieged Ukraine.
On increased migration-related funding, he said infrastructure in the country is largely funded by EU resources, as Greece is doing the EU’s job in the latter’s external borders with Turkey.
Turning to a crucial issue for his center-right government, namely, restoration of the flood-ravaged Thessaly plain, Greece’s “breadbasket”, he cited more funding from the EU’s solidarity fund, on top of significant outlays emanating from Greek state coffers for ag sector compensation and infrastructure repair, citing a sum of one billion euros.
Amid aggressive farmers’ mobilizations and protests in many parts of Europe, Mitsotakis acknowledged that agriculture producers face high production costs and regulations stifling competition.
Conversely, he welcomed the European Commission’s initiative ease restrictions on fallow land, something imposed via the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) since 2020.
“What this means, in practice, is that more than one 100,000 hectares will be freed up Greek farmers for specific crops, which means additional income, as well as related subsidies for expanses that will be cultivated.”
