Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-03-31

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

CONTENTS

[01] FinMin on reducing bureaucracy

[02] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] FinMin on reducing bureaucracy

He said that reducing the administrative burden (bureaucracy) was a very important issue, adding that it was everyone's obligatin to work together to reduce bureaucracy.

"We need your proposals," he told the participants.

Alogoskoufis further said that bureaucracy in Greece was greater than in the other EU countries, adding that a 25 percent reduction in bureaucracy Europe-wide would increase the EU's GDP by 1.4 percentage points, which translates into 150 billion euros.

The minister noted that reports to the European Commission should be sumitted to the European Commission by all the EU member countries on the reduction of the adminstrative burden.

"We've advanced some measures, but we need to move at a faster pace," he added.

Earlier, ministry secretary general Ioannis Sidiropoulos called on the participants to submit written proposals on ways of reducing the administrative burden, noting that bureaucracy in Greece costs some 14 billion euros, or 6.8 percentage points of GDP.

The main priority areas in the framework of reducing the administrative burden are agriculture and farming subsidies, annual accounts/corporate law, cohesion policy, the environment, fiscal services, tax law (VAT), fisheries, food safety, pharmaceutical legislation, public contracts, statistics, transports, and work environment/labor relations.

[02] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The FYROM name issue and Greece's position ahead of the NATO Summit in Bucharest beginning on Wednesday dominated the headlines on Monday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Veto on the horizon - FYROM issue: Clash with US is inevitable"

APOGEVMATINI: "Open letter by Apogevmatini to US President George Bush:Why Greece says 'no' to FYROM accession to NATO".

AVRIANI: "Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis' social package - Incentives for mothers and generous measures for young people and unemployed"

ELEFTHERI ORA: "Metropolitan Anthimos of Thessaloniki condemns the co-habitation agreement for homosexuals because it equalises humans with animals".

ELEFTHEROS: "FYROM humiliated the Greek flag - They filled up their streets with Greek flags, replacing the cross with a swastika".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Difficult period for Karamanlis - Greece poised for veto, in absence of Nimetz - The 48 hours of relentless 'behind the scenes' before the meeting with NATO's leaders".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "US 'ruse' to freeze the veto - Accession after NATO's summit through a scheduled ultimatum".

ESTIA: "Crucial hours for FYROM issue - Veto on Wednesday in Bucharest".

ETHNOS: "Salary raises in public sector in two installments - Up to 547 euros the loss in incomes".

TA NEA: "Bush's extortion over FYROM issue just hours before NATO's Summit - Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice makes 'coldwar' call to Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis".

VRADYNI: "Unbearable pressures, Greek resistance - US clearly favours FYROM, putting appearances aside".

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