Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-07-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK leader addresses party conference on agricultural policy

[02] Agriculture minister reacts to PASOK party leader's comments on agricultural policy

[03] Interior minister comments on 4th Community Support Framework

[04] Education minister guarantees increase in education funding

[01] PASOK leader addresses party conference on agricultural policy

A monthly welfare pension for a couple of farmers amounting to 800 euros, support for women farmers, particularly if they are mothers, in accordance with the number of children had, insurance with the OGA farmers' insurance fund for farmers living in settlements of up to 2,000 inhabitants, even if they are exercising a different profession, and a decrease in the cost of obtaining a building licence for their first home by 50 percent for those staying or wishing to stay in settlements of up to 2,000 inhabitants are four of the measures announced by the PASOK leader.

Papandreou accused the government of making superficial and anti-popular proposals without holding any discussion and without handling substantive issues, as well as of exploiting the pain of the farmer before the elections and deceiving him and abandoning promises after the elections.

The PASOK leader further accused the government of successive setbacks in Brussels regarding a series of farm products, stressing that the most painful defeat occurred in December 2005, with the prime minister being present in Brussels, where Greece lost, as he said, 65 million euros a year from agricultural subsidies and 47 percent of funds for agricultural development.

Lastly, Papandrerou pointed out that PASOK's proposal for agricultural policy is part of the overall framework of state reforming and of the decentralisation of power and of the shaping of a system of welfare, security and confidence for the Greek citizen and of the release and support of productive forces, particularly through education.

[02] Agriculture minister reacts to PASOK party leader's comments on agricultural policy

"Instead of Mr. Papandreou admitting the mistakes of the governments of PASOK, he is insisting on supporting the same options that are an example worth avoiding as far as we are concerned," Basiakos said.

"We are implementing unwaveringly, with social sensitivity, together with the farmers, our government programme and exhausting every possibility of support by the European Union. For this reason, the great majority of farmers recognise the positive results of our policy," the minister added.

[03] Interior minister comments on 4th Community Support Framework

As regards the "Thiseas" programme, funds amounting to 214 million euros are provided for local administration bodies in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace over a period of five years, while prefectural administrations in these regions will also be provided with 23 million euros through the 2006 budget and when net funds in this direction had not exceeded 6.5 million euros in the past.

Pavlopoulos referred in particular to Greeks returning to the country from abroad, saying that issues related to them are being given priority and added that the rent subsidisation programme ending on June 30 will be continued.

Earlier, the interior minister had attended a consultations conference with non-governmental organisations in light of the 4th CSF that was organised by the General Secretariat of the Eastern Macedonia-Thrace Region. Later on , he also inaugurated the Regional Institute of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace that is based in the city of Komotini.

[04] Education minister guarantees increase in education funding

Referring to the holding of a dialogue before the formulation of the government's proposal, the education minister stressed that dialogue has been carried out and quite a few of the proposals of the opposition have already been included in the draft law.

"Some went to the dialogue, wanting to leave. When the proposals of PASOK and the Coalition are accepted and some leave the next day, what does it mean? These proposals are here," she said.

On the question of "partisan choices", Yiannakou said that at the "Experts Committee", headed by Thanos Veremis, "nobody is a friend of New Democracy" and that "members of the university community who are cooperating with PASOK support the government's proposal."

The minister further said that "we have promised 5 percent of GDP. We found an organic deficit amounting to 570 million euros in 2004. There were no ministerial decisions on the funding of books. This is not correct policy."

Lastly, referring to the issue of assessment at universities and technical institutes, Yiannakou reminded that the establishments receive an assessment by the European Union in order to be funded with European programmes.

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