The event entitled “GRecoISLANDS: Sustainable development and modern perspective for the islands of the future”, organized by NSRF General Secretariat in Corfu, on Monday 30 September 2024. The event is part of the NSRF 2021-2027 and had as its central axis the sustainable development of the islands of Greece, through the visionary initiative GRecoISLANDS.

The GRecoISLANDS initiative aims at the sustainable transformation of the Greek islands, promoting the sustainable development, social cohesion and economic well-being of their inhabitants. During the event, the strategies that will be implemented as part of the initiative were presented in detail.

At the event they addressed a greeting:

O Deputy Minister of Shipping and Insular Policy, Stefanos Gikaswho mentioned that this specific initiative is an innovative, multifaceted action, with particular importance for our country, and especially for island Greece.

OR General Secretary of NSRF, Vasiliki Pantelopoulouwhich underlined the importance of the initiative in addressing the contemporary challenges facing the Greek islands.

The Regional Governor of the Ionian Islands, Ioannis Trepeklis, who emphasized the Region’s contribution to the promotion of sustainable development.

The Mayor of Central Corfu and Diapontian Islands, Stefanos Peninantarchou Poulimenos, who highlighted the needs of the region and the need for cooperation with national and European bodies.

The Head of the Greece and Cyprus Unit of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission, Carsten Rasmussen, spoke about the importance of the GRecoISLANDS initiative at the European level.

In particular, the General Secretary of NSRF, Basiliki Pantelopoulou among other things he said:

“The GRecoISLANDS Initiative is a strategic initiative for the future of small islands with a population of 100 to 3,500 inhabitants, which extends beyond the energy transition of islands and will be oriented towards addressing the main challenges associated with island space, with the aim of the sustainable and resilient development of the islands.

The initiative is aimed at 39 small islands with the aim of creating a new identity for the islands, which will improve their attractiveness for living, working and business development and at the same time will meet the high demands of environmentally conscious citizen-visitors with a corresponding economic return.

An important factor in the initiative’s success is the consultation and social dialogue actions with the participation of regional and local bodies, making use of the very good knowledge that these local bodies have about the particularities of the islands, as well as their experience from similar actions».

During the event, two rounds of discussions were held: In the first round of discussions with participants from various European countries, similar initiatives for the sustainable development of their islands were presented, while in the second round similar Greek actions, which have already been implemented on smaller islands, were discussed. highlighting the positive results and prospects these initiatives had for the future of the islands.

The event was an important platform for the exchange of knowledge, opinions and ideas, confirming the commitment of all involved bodies for the sustainable development of the Greek islands and their adaptation to modern requirements.