The deadline for expressions of interest to support businesses that have suffered financial losses, located in areas of Thessaly affected by the severe floods of September and in areas of Evros affected by the fires of August 2023, is extended until June 21, 2024 .

This is foreseen by joint ministerial decisions published (Government Gazette B’ 3080) following the initiative of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, which, in cooperation with the Ministry of National Economy and Finance and with the support of the Independent Public Revenue Authority, “continues in practice to support the areas severely affected by the September 2023 floods and the summer 2023 fires’.

At the same time, in particular with regard to the special aid scheme for Thessaly, this is enriched by the addition of additional Activity Number Codes (AID) to the eligible sectors, as well as the region of the island of Skiathos for the sub-scheme of aid to the fishing and catch trade sectors .

“Responding to the request of the productive bodies of Thessaly, but also taking into account the number of applications, it was decided to extend the operation of the platform until June 21, 2024, so that those interested can submit their statements for the special support schemes for businesses in Thessaly and Evros . At the same time, we also proceeded with some additions to fields that were identified during the period when the platform was open, so that – in a context of close cooperation with the Ministry of National Economy and Finance – the scope of the beneficiaries responds as much as possible to the needs that have been created“, noted the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, responsible for recovery from natural disasters and state aid, Christos Triandopoulos.

It is recalled that the aid scheme for Thessaly includes five different sub-schemes, as follows:

(a) Businesses – with the exception of agricultural holdings – that had headquarters or a branch in the Municipality of Palamas and the Municipality of Farkadona that were severely affected by the floods, with the KAD of the businesses and the affected areas to be specified in detail in the relevant joint ministerial decision published (Government Gazette B΄2549).

(b) Businesses active in the tourism sector in areas affected by unsafe access and unsuitability of water, with the KAD of the businesses in the tourism sector and the areas affected to be specified in detail in the joint ministerial decision published (Government Gazette B’ 2549 and B΄3080).

(c) Enterprises operating in the passenger transport sector in areas affected by unsafe access and unsuitability of water, with the KADs of the passenger transport sector enterprises and the affected areas to be specified in detail in the joint ministerial decision published ( Official Gazette B΄2549 and B΄3080).

(d) Businesses active in the accommodation sector in areas affected by the unsuitability of the waters, with the KAD of the accommodation sector businesses and the affected areas to be specified in detail in the joint ministerial decision published (Government Gazette B΄2549).

(e) Businesses active in the fishing and fish trading sectors in areas affected by the impacts on the Thessaly coastal front, with the KAD of the fishing and fish trading businesses and the areas affected to be specified in detail in the joint ministerial decision which was published (Government Gazette B΄2549 and B΄3080).

The support scheme for Evros focuses on businesses active in the tourism sector in the areas of the municipality of Soufli and the municipal unit of Feron of the municipality of Alexandroupolis of the Regional Unit of Evros, which were severely affected by the fires of the summer of 2023, with the KAD of the businesses of tourism sector and the affected areas to be specified in detail in the joint ministerial decision published (Government Gazette B΄2549).

It is clarified that the aid schemes will be implemented in two phases. The first phase which is extended until June 21, 2024 and concerns the submission of expressions of interest and the second phase which will be implemented after the completion of the first phase. The conditions for belonging to each aid scheme, the means, the amount, the determination methodology and the intensity of the aid, the conditions, the application process, the required data and supporting documents, the procedure for granting the aid, the obligations of the beneficiaries and any other related issue will be determined in the second phase, with a subsequent decision, which will be issued after the deadline for submission of expressions of interest.

Therefore, the “mybusinesssupport” platform, which operates with the support of AADE, for the submission of requests for expressions of interest, in the context of the first phase, will remain open until June 21, 2024.

“With the support schemes that will be implemented, the state aid framework is completed, such as the first aid support measures, the advance payment and the grant that are already being implemented. The general secretariat of Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid, in a context of close cooperation with the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, continues in practice, with the aim of effectively supporting the economic life of the areas that were severely affected by the floods of September 2023 and the of summer 2023 fires“, the ministry’s announcement states.