Recovery Fund: How spatial planning progresses in the areas of lignite plants

Within programming Greece moves towards spatial planning in the areas where the project, which has been integrated into the project for decades, has been operating.In itself, the inclusion in the Recovery Fund of this key project in these regions of the lignite units, after years of delays, highlights its importance for the development of these areas. This is because Greece is forced to move on the road that Brussels is making, in line with the EU’s ‘green’ objectives – no matter how much some of them have gone back’ I say war and energy crisis – putting the closure of these units at the heart of a new model of sustainable development, but without immersing the areas in abandonment and unemployment, which has highlighted with her recent visit and the European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Eliza Fereira, who even heard the protests of Mayor Megalopoli about ‘unfair development transition’ and that ‘nothing has happened’. The “thorn” of spatial planning Although the completion of spatial planning and Special Urban Plans (EPS) is a key prerequisite of the Fair Development Transition Plan, and since its establishment in 2020, it has been assigned to “high priority” by accelerating the necessary urban interventions, the process is still pending. And this, despite the fact that without this necessary condition, the process of restoration does not proceed as it relates to the overall spatial and socio-economic framework of Fair Transition. The government incorporated it into the Recovery Fund in 2022 declaring it as a milestone 10 of project 16871, “Renewal actions of fair development transition areas”. In particular, the milestone includes: (a) the approval of the Special Urban Plans (West Macedonia, Megalopolis) and (b) the tripartite contracts between PPC, TRANSITION S.A. and PPC contractors to be declared Contractors following competition procedures, which PPC will conduct. As provided for in the National Recovery and Durability Plan, these actions must be completed within 2024. According to newssit.gr, the implementation of this action is normally progressing, and it is expected that the deadline, which would put the country on “adventures” in relation to the drawing up of the funds of the Recovery Fund, will “not be lost”. It is noted that the relevant strategic environmental impact studies of the three Specific Urban Plans have been posted in public consultation and will follow their approval and adoption of the relevant decisions, so that the project is completed.