Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-01-11

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

CONTENTS

[01] 'Kallikratis' the codename of new municipality architecture

[02] Conference on Renewable Energy Sources

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] 'Kallikratis' the codename of new municipality architecture

The minister revealed that the programme will be ratified by May at the latest and local government elections on November 14, 2010, will be taking place in the new municipalities and regions.

Rangoussis clarified that land planning will be carried out in the second phase of the bill's consultations. He added that the new archcitecture concerns both levels of local administration.

With the "Kallikratis" programme the foundations will be laid for second stage regional local administration and 13 regions will be created in the place of the 76 prefectures. From the 1,034 municipalities currently existing less than 370 will be established, while the approximately six thousand legal entities and municipal corporations will be limited to 2,000. In addition, seven general administrations will be formed that will replace the present 13 state regions and the decentralised state entities, whose existence is imposed by the Constitution.

According to what Rangoussis said, regional local administration will constitute the "vehicle" for green development. He also said that there will be a change in the way of controlling local administration resources, there shall be a compulsory presentation of administrative decisions in the Internet and an autonomous service for checking local administration bodies will be established.

Moreover, funds amounting to 650 million euros from ESPA will be revised and adjusted to support this change and for the hiring of the necessary scientific staff.

[02] Conference on Renewable Energy Sources

The conference will focus on the formulation of a National Action Plan on renewable energy sources (RES) as per the EU Directive adopted on December 17, known as the "20-20-20 plan", which requires that overall energy consumption in the EU supplied by RES reach 20 percent by 2020.

The Renewable Energy Directive, which sets the EU's climate change reduction targets for the next decade, also envisages a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a 20 percent cut in energy consumption through improved energy efficiency by 2020.

The 4th conference, like the preceding three conferences, aims to contribute to a speedier and wider penetration of RES on the energy market, the drafting of an integrated and flexible National Strategy on RES, and the development of large-scale RES applications in free market conditions.

The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) is one of the oldest and most prestigious academic institutions of Greece. NTUA has been involved for a long time in education and research activities related to renewable energy sources. Over the years, different groups were formed at different departments working on the full spectrum of renewable sources.

Recently, researchers from different departments joined forces to create a suitable framework necessary for fruitful future collaboration.

RENES is a unit for studying and promoting renewable energy sources grouping all the educational and research activities of NTUA on renewables and their applications.

RENES inherited all the experience and know-how acquired by its members who worked separately in the past in the field of renewable energy sources. The members of RENES believe that this experience combined with the dynamism of the newly formed unit gives to RENES the power needed for the successful fulfilment of its objectives.

In addition, the unit has developed cooperation with a wide network of external associates from the private and the public sector.

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Saturday's bomb attack outside parliament, in a trash bin near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, changes to the real estate market being mulled by the government, the "Kallikratis" plan for the merger of municipalities into larger schemes, and a proposed uniform VAT of 15-16 percent were the main front-page items in Athens' newspapers on Monday.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Uniform VAT for all products and services - The 9 percent VAT rises to 15-16 percent, but the 19 percent VAT will fall".

APOGEVMATINI: "The 'NO' of our brave Evzones (Presidential Guard) to the brazen bombers - The moving stance of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier", who refused to abandon their posts when told to leave because a bomb explosion was imminent".

AVRIANI: "Lock on 650 municipalities and 4,000 municipal enterprises that have evolved into public money wasting industries - What the Kallikratis plan entails".

CHORA: "100 days (of the new government in office) without substance - Account by the prime minister, with self-criticism and wishful thinking".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "Everyone was terrorised by the bomb attack of the terrorists except the Evzones, who stolidly stayed in place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier".

ELEFTHEROS: "They're (government) 'disappearing' municipalities, prefectures, public law entities - Thousands of employees in the local governments' public and private law entities 'up in the air'."

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Chryssohoidis (Citizen Protection minister) a 'bomber' of consensus - Instead of lashing out against terrorism, the minister lashed out at (main opposition New Democracy) ND, which offered him support".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "13 little 'prime ministers' - 'Kallikratis' instead of 'Capodistria' (code-name of previous small municipality and community mergers program), and redistribution of authority".

ESTIA: "The retractions of the (first) 100 days - What Papandreou had pledged (before the elections)".

ETHNOS: "New map with 370 'mammoth' Municipalities - Kallikratis plan for local government and...decentralisation".

IMERISSIA: "Chaos in the real estate market - Confusion over the measures and the new taxes".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Uniform VAT of 15 percent being mulled - Economy, Competitiveness and Shipping minister Louka Katseli states that the proposal will be put to deliberation".

TA NEA: "Tax-free ceiling of 300,000 euros for first home".

VRADYNI: "Defenceless Democracy - The country at the mercy of the government's arbitrariness and incompetence".

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