Greece loses €93 million from Recovery Fund for civil‑protection projects

Professor Manolis Pleionis, head of the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection sector of the Greek Left Coalition (ELAS), announced that roughly €93 million was withdrawn from the EU Recovery Fund for civil‑protection works. The amount consists of €74 million removed under measure 16909 and €19 million under measure 16283. The cancelled works included the creation of a Strategic National Disaster Risk Management Center in the “Atlantis” and “Pharos” buildings, procurement of telecommunications equipment for 13 regional Civil‑Protection Operation Centers, new facilities and equipment for training institutes of the Civil Protection and Fire Service, and the implementation of Regional Civil‑Protection Operation Centers (PEK‑EPP).

Pleionis criticized the removal as “not just another administrative error but a striking proof of governmental inadequacy to plan, mature and implement critical public investments for citizen safety.” He warned that the loss undermines Greece’s ability to respond to increasingly frequent natural disasters linked to the climate crisis, calling for higher administrative capacity and effective use of European resources.