KEEE and the Chamber of Kozani in Brussels: Focus on development initiatives for businesses and chambers

The work of the conference “Brussels 2022: Opportunities and possibilities coming from the financial resources of the EU – energy issues” and of the chamber mission of the KEEE on the financing of businesses, the resources of the E.U. and energy issues, with the participation of European officials, MEPs and presidents of Chambers. The representatives from the country’s Chambers were informed about the business support package that the European Commission will make available to Greece. The Chamber of Kozani represented the member of the Board of Directors, Mr. Fotis Tsampouris, expressing the organization’s proposals, as well as the needs of local businesses.

The first evening and the official dinner given in honor of the chamber community were graced by the presence of the Greek Commissioner and Vice-President of the EU, Mr. Margaritis Schinas, the Greek Ambassador in Brussels, Mr. Dionysios Kalambrezos, while of the invited MEPs of all parties, Mrs. Anna Michel Asimakopoulou, Manolis Kefalogiannis and Eliza Vozeberg. Welcoming the event, the Greek commissioner Margaritis Schinas spoke about the great opportunity that opens up for our country, as after successful negotiations it will have to manage resources of 30 billion euros, which will be allocated for the development of Greek businesses. Mr. Schinas declared himself optimistic about the future, stressing to the representatives of the chambers that in this difficult period it is proven that Greece is not alone.

At the conference coordinated by the head of extroversion and international relations of KEEE – president of the Chamber of Drama, Mr. Stefanos Georgiadis, Ms. Anna-Michel Asimakopoulou, MEP of the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and the ambassador Mr. Ioannis Vrailas addressed a greeting. Permanent Representative of Greece to the EU

Among the topics discussed were: “Opportunities and possibilities coming from the financial resources of the E.U. – energy issues”, “The green transition: financing opportunities for businesses from the structural funds in the period 2021-27”, “Competitiveness Programme”, “Just Development Transition Program”.

In more detail, in the first part of the conference, Mr. Konstantinos Niafas, Executive of the European Commission, General Directorate of Regional and Urban Policy, Department of Cyprus and Greece, analyzed the “Competitiveness Program”, while Mr. Athanasios Sofos, Executive of the European Commission, General Directorate of Regional and Urban Policy, Department of Cyprus and Greece the “Just Development Transition Program”.

On behalf of the United Nations, Mr. Dimitrios Fatouros, Communications Officer for Greece United Nations Regional Information Center – UNRIC gave an update on: “The United Nations and the Business World – Doing Business with the UN».

In his introductory statement, in the second part that followed regarding energy issues, Mr. Iordanis Tsotsos, 1st vice-president of KEEE and coordinator of the Energy, Natural Resources and Just Development Transition Committee, developed the issue: “Energy crisis and its effects on small and medium enterprises”. Mr. Charalambos Kremmidas, operator of ECOFIN Council Issues, Economic Policy Unit, Permanent Greek Delegation to the EU. made a “Presentation related to an ongoing legislative initiative on REPowerEU» and Dr. Markella Stamati, Policy-Making advisor of the General Directorate of Energy of the E.U. referred to “Energy for the European Green Deal”.

At the meeting and working dinner with the Hellenic Brussels Network ARGO and its president, Mr. Spyros Pappa, the topic was discussed: “A holistic look at the course of European integration – The price of legitimacy or the new culture of European bureaucracy”. At the same meeting, Mr. Panagiotis Papanastasiou, Economic and Commercial Affairs adviser of the Greek Embassy in Belgium, addressed a speech on the subject: “Entrepreneurship in the age of uncertainty. Can the challenges facing Europe be an opportunity for Greek business development? Value Chains and the Reconstruction of Ukraine’.

About 35 Chambers from all over Greece attended the conference and chamber mission, organized by the Central Union of Chambers in Brussels. The following Chambers participated in the mission: Chamber of Commerce of Athens, Chamber of Commerce of Athens, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Thessaloniki, Chamber of Commerce of Thessaloniki, Chamber of Commerce of Piraeus, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Rhodope, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Rhodope, Argolis, Arcadia, Arta, Boeotia, Drama, Dodecanese, Imathia, Heraklion, Ioannina, Kavala, Kefalonia and Ithaca, KozaniCorinthia, Lesvos, Lefkada, Magnesia, Pella, Preveza, Rethymno, Fthiotida and Chios.