A series of meetings and autopsies on restoration projects were held in the previous days, specifically on Thursday 11, Friday 12 and Saturday 13 April 2024, by the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, responsible for restoration from natural disasters and state aid, Christos Triandopoulos, in the municipalities of Thessaly in the context of monitoring the progress of both the necessary procedures for the implementation of the support measures, as well as for the progress of the rehabilitation projects in irrigation networks and infrastructures.

Specifically, on Thursday, April 11, the deputy minister visited Karditsa, where the regular meetings of the monitoring groups for the implementation of the state aid project, for businesses and the primary sector, were held at the headquarters of the Karditsa Chamber. The meetings were attended by officials from the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, officials from the four Regional Units of Thessaly, representatives of farmers and representatives of productive entities, with the presence of the Presidents of the Chambers of Karditsa, Trikala and Magnesia. Afterwards, the deputy minister met with representatives of businesses and farmers of Farkadona, Vlohos and Palamas, where measures and interventions that have been implemented so far were discussed, as well as what is being launched in the next period in collaboration with all the agencies involved.

On Friday, April 12, 2024, Mr. Triandopoulos continued his meetings and field visits regarding the critical issue of repairing the damage to the irrigation network and infrastructure of the agricultural holdings of Thessaly. Initially, in the morning, he had a meeting with the mayor of Karditsa, Vassilis Tsiakos, where issues of repairing damage to networks and infrastructure after the disastrous floods of last September were analyzed, focusing – among other things – on the necessary interventions to ensure the irrigation of agricultural holdings in the area and by extension the production normality during this year as well. As pointed out in a ministry statement, the municipality of Karditsa has already proceeded with relevant interventions to repair pumping stations and repair damage to networks in various places, where – following their meeting – Mr. Triandopoulos was present together with the mayor, accompanied by officials factors. As emphasized in the announcement, the government, for its part, within the framework of the approvals of the Government Committee for State Aid, will proceed with extraordinary financing of the municipality of Karditsa, for projects to restore the irrigation networks and infrastructure of the area – as it has done in other cases of municipalities.

Afterwards, Mr. Triandopoulos visited the headquarters of TOEB Tavropos, with which, according to the ministry’s announcement, close cooperation has been developed throughout this period of rehabilitation together with the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis . During the meeting at the offices of TOEB Tauropo, the president of TOEB, Athanasios Markinos, informed the deputy minister about the large and significant damages suffered by the irrigation network and infrastructure, at all levels, in the area of ​​responsibility of TOEB, while presenting the actions and actions taken recently – in a framework of close cooperation – for the restoration of the irrigation network after the floods of September 2023. In this direction, in a framework of cooperation between the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, emergency funding has been approved for the TOEBs and the municipalities with irrigation networks in the total amount of 15 million euros. After the meeting, the Deputy Minister together with the TOEB officials visited points in the field of works that are in progress, with tight schedules, in order to ensure production normality in the agricultural holdings of the region.

After Karditsa, the Deputy Minister visited areas of Larissa, where he had a meeting with the President of TOEB Piniou, Dimitrios Tsiouris, and members of the organization, during which they discussed the course of implementation of the interventions of repairs and repairs to the network and pumping stations of TOEB, so that to ensure production normality in a large part of the agricultural holdings in the wider region after the catastrophic floods. This is a TOEB, which has also been included in the framework of the emergency financial support, so that it can restore the major damages to the irrigation network and its supporting infrastructures.

The cycle of visits and autopsies closed on Saturday, April 13, 2024, with a working meeting held by the deputy minister in Volos, with ETHEAS officials, regarding the issues and concerns of producers after the disastrous floods of September, but also to analyze a series of interventions and actions that have either been implemented or are being launched in the next period to support farmers.

Following the visits to Thessaly, the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Christos Triandopoulos, noted that “the implementation of the state aid framework is progressing in a framework of close cooperation and monitoring by all involved. A framework that includes both the first aid, with the second round to farmers, and the advance payment of 50% of the state aid, both of which are implemented in close cooperation with the committees and levels of state aid of the Region of Thessaly. A framework that has so far collectively paid out more than 210 million euros to entrepreneurs, farmers and of course households. And, of course, the work continues apace and where we can speed up and improve processes and collaborations of all levels of involvement.”

At the same time, Mr. Triandopoulos underlined: “Following the cooperation that we have developed throughout this period both with the TOEBs and with the municipalities that have irrigation networks under their management, and despite the difficulties and the large and many damages to the network and infrastructure, projects and interventions are progressing to ensure productive regularity in the arable lands of Thessaly. In this direction, currently, emergency funding of a total amount of 15 million euros has been secured, both for the TOEBs – from the ministries of National Economy and Finance and Rural Development and Food – and for the municipalities. The invitation from the Ministry of the Interior concerning the municipalities has already been published, while the funding from the General Accounting Office of the State concerning the TOEBs has also been approved. And in the following days, all relevant procedures are completed. And, of course, this funding will continue, as other beneficiary municipalities join, such as the municipality of Karditsa”.