Hatzidakis: Greece secures additional 10 billion euros in EU funds

“There will be a European Competitiveness Fund with a total budget of 420 billion euros in the period 2028-2034. These resources will not be directed towards the traditional programmes we have known since the 1980s, but towards initiatives that enhance competitiveness through cooperation between businesses, universities and research centres. Based solely on population criteria, Greece could be allocated between 8-10 billion euros. In other words, roughly half the size of the Recovery Fund,” Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis said on Thursday during the conference “The New Era for Higher Education”, organised in Athens by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports.

Hatzidakis reiterated that the view that a funding gap will emerge after the expiry of the Recovery and Resilience Facility is “completely misguided”. He noted that, based on the latest proposals – while negotiations are still ongoing – Greece is expected to receive 49.5 billion euros in EU funding during the next programming period, compared with 57.5 billion in the current period, in addition to loan facilities and funding from the Competitiveness Fund.

Referring to progress in higher education, Hatzidakis pointed to two landmark reforms implemented over the last years: the evaluation of universities through the national quality assurance authority and the coexistence of public and non-state universities.

Last year marked the beginning of this process. I expect even more non-state universities to become operational this year, making competition more intense. New approaches are also emerging within public universities. Legislation has already been passed establishing industrial doctorates, which bring universities and businesses closer together, and industrial master’s programmes could also be developed,” he said.

amna.gr