Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-10-19

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Tests for bird flu in Greece almost all negative

[02] Greece to scrap tax incentives for foreign firms

[03] Interior minister opens CoE meeting on migration

[04] 'Pavlos Bakoyiannis' hall at public order ministry

[01] Tests for bird flu in Greece almost all negative

The spokesman underlined that experts were not alarmed by the results of tests taken from the free-range farm at Oinousses, since most of the birds in the same farm had been found clear of the H5 virus.

He also stressed that the single positive result had been obtained after the sample had been tested three times and that this had only shown evidence leading to a suspicion of H5, with symptoms shown at the preliminary stages of bird flu rather than the full-blown disease.

"From the evidence so far, there is no cause for concern. A single sample is not so important, what matters is the total of samples taken," the spokesman added.

Roussopoulos said that tests for avian flu had been carried out on random samples over the past few months following discussion among EU member-states. He said the scientific method used called for taking samples from several birds to determine if the disease had spread, while all the results so far had been negative.

He explained that tests have been carried out on a north-south axis, following the path of migratory birds.

According to the spokesman, up to 50 samples had been taken in the past week, one of which was from the farm in Oinousses where a single bird tested positive for the virus.

"The next step, according to the scientists in charge, was to take more samples from the same area. Out of nine samples taken, representing more than 50 per cent of the birds in the specific farm, eight were blood samples that were examined by the Thessaloniki Laboratory and one was a tissue sample was sent to the veterinary laboratories in London."

"Today, we have collected 154 samples in Thessaloniki, of which 40 have been tested and were all negative. We also have 44 samples from Athens, of which 16 have been tested and are all negative, while tests are continuing," the spokesman said.

He also announced that two EU experts were arriving in Athens to assist Greek authorities on Thursday, at the invitation of the agriculture ministry.

Concerning exports of poultry, Roussopoulos clarified that the island Chios - under whose jurisdiction the smaller island of Oinousses falls - was is a major poultry-exporting region and that the birds had been from a small family concern, destined for own or local use. He said Greek authorities will carry out an investigation at customs to see if there had been any trade of poultry with neighbouring Turkey, while stressing that this was in any case not allowed.

The spokesman also pointed to the praise given to Greece by both the EU presidency and the European Commission, for its response in the affair.

Commission says ban on poultry movements for Chios still in place

A spokesman for European Commissioner for health Markos Kyprianou on Wednesday said that the restrictions on the movements of live birds and poultry products in the prefecture of Chios - where one bird had tested positive for the avian flu virus - was still in place since the Commission had not received the results of lab analyses from Greece nor from the veterinary laboratories in Weybridge, Surrey.

He also announced that the Commission was sending out three Community experts, who will arrive on Chios on Thursday, to give technical support to Greek authorities.

He also announced that a European-wide drill for dealing with a possible pandemic will be held at the end of November to test the readiness of state mechanisms in the 25 EU member-states to deal with a crisis of this sort.

[02] Greece to scrap tax incentives for foreign firms

Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis on Wednesday announced an amendment of the law 87/1967 covering the installation of foreign enterprises to Greece in the framework of harmonising Greek legislation to Community law.

Speaking to reporters, Alogoskoufis said duty and tax exempts offered by an existing legislation were incompatible with community law since Greece has pledged to maintain these incentives by December 31, 2005. Under the new legislation, all foreign enterprises in the commerce and manufacturing sectors would be included in a new tax regulation system, while corporate tax on earnings would change by using the method of adding an pre-set profit percentage on spending and amortizations.

The Greek minister stressed that foreign enterprises based in Greece should be obliged to employ at least five people and to report operating spending of at least 100,000 euros annually. "We cannot compete with our neighbouring countries in labour cost but we can offer many other comparative advantages," he said.

Commenting on the dialogue on reforming the pension system, Alogoskoufis said the government supported a dialogue with interested parties and aimed to take initiatives towards this direction, while he reiterated a government's decision not to take any measures during this four-year term. The Greek minister acknowledged that tax receipts fell below expectations so far this year but he sounded optimistic over final results.

[03] Interior minister opens CoE meeting on migration

The Greek minister, whose portfolio includes jurisdiction over drafting much of the immigration and naturalisation legislation in the east Mediterranean nation, emphasised that Greece went from a net exporter of immigrants up until 1990 to a destination country soon thereafter without, however, being prepared for such a role.

Additionally, he said a recently passed bill finally lays down the framework for a modern immigration policy, especially the social exclusion of third country foreign nationals. Pavlopoulos also said the bill foresees yet another chance at legalisation for eligible illegal migrants in Greece.

The CoE event will focus on the image of migrants in the media, including the roles of journalists and governments have in promoting balanced and accurate coverage of migration issues. Television journalists from Belgium and Morocco - as well as migrants working in the media - are expected to take part.

[04] 'Pavlos Bakoyiannis' hall at public order ministry

He stressed that investigations were continuing, that the file on terrorism remained open and everything related to terrorist activity in Greece was being constantly re-evaluated in an attempt to shed light on the very least aspect of terrorist crimes.

At the same time, Voulgarakis also noted that the organisations that had troubled Greece in the past had today been fully dismantled and all their crimes had been attributed.

In order for the case to finally be put on the shelf, however, there must be an answer to every last question and the last piece of the 'puzzle' must be put in place, he stressed.

"Phenomena such as terrorism cannot be exorcised, they have to be faced. It would be politically naive to think that this phenomenon can be wiped off the face of the earth and cease," he added.

Voulgarakis said that the slain Pavlos Bakoyiannis, whose 16 years ago became one of the most high-profile and celebrated victims of Greek terrorism after he was shot in a busy Athens thoroughfare, had been an major political personality that had played a decisive role in the developments of that time. According to the minister, the consequences and repercussions of Bakoyiannis' murder had not be adequately analysed up to the present day.

Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni, who had been married to the murdered politician, said that the issue of terrorism in Greece remained open and demanded constant effort and struggle.

While agreeing that the greater part of the terrorists responsible were now behind bars, she stressed that all sides must remember that a terrorist strike is a strike against Greek society, democracy, its values and principles.

"Democracy is not self-evident in any part of the world. Democracy is a tree that we must daily care for and defend," Bakoyianni stressed as she concluded her speech.

The hall was named after Pavlos Bakoyiannis to mark Day of the Police and the patron saint of the police force, the martyr St. Artemios. It was named after Bakoyiannis in tribute to the sole member of the Greek Parliament to have been murdered by the terrorist group "November 17" and in memory of victims of terrorism everywhere.

The ceremony was also attended by family members of terrorist victims, including the Athens mayor and her father, former premier and ND honorary president Constantine Mitsotakis.

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