European Parliamentarians address Acheloos River conference

The Greek people can begin to expect an improvement in the future, and Europe is there to provide support and new cohesion programmes to promote regional development, said European Parliament president Martin Schulz via teleconference at a one-day seminar in Perdikaki, northwest Greece on Sunday.

The seminar, "Agricultural and Regional Policy of the European Union" focused on the development prospects of the Acheloos River basin and was organised by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament, local townships and the Athens offices of the European Commission and Parliament.

"Europe supports you with the best and most effective use of all available and new cohesion tools," Schulz said, "with viable regional development and smart collaborative policies, with which we will face our common challenges together."

Joseph Daul, chair of the European People's Party group in the Parliament, also speaking via teleconferencing, said that "Europe has funds for the development of rural areas and the establishment of small and medium-sized enterprises and I hope that this entrepreneurial spirit revives in Greece so that development can too."

Attending the seminar were several representatives of other groups in the European Parliament, Eurodeputies, minister of Agriculture Athanasios Tsaftaris, officials from other ministries, regional officials and mayors.