Few problems threaten Greece’s resilience as much as water scarcity. The lack of water poses a major challenge for farmers, citizens, and the country’s future. The 36 billion from the Recovery and Resilience Fund was, of course, a golden opportunity to shield our society and its prospects from this problem. This did not happen. PASOK denounces the government’s lack of foresight, absence of planning, and incompetence as unthinkable.
It goes without saying that the first ad by PASOK – Movement for Change in the series “Greece 2.0: The Great Lost National Opportunity” had to address the water shortage. These are issues you’ll never hear the government talk about. But we are speaking out.
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PASOK and Pavlos Geroulanos, head of the Movement’s Recovery Fund Technical Committee, thoroughly studied the texts of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “Greece 2.0,” and prepared a “Comparative Study of National Recovery and Resilience Plan Measures—Before and After,” comparing the original text of “Greece 2.0” with the current version, following the government’s successive downward revisions. The results are revealing: nearly two-thirds of the “Greece 2.0” measures appear to have strayed from their original objective, ranging from somewhat to completely (removed). Among these are the following three measures that directly concern water scarcity and water management.
Since the entire Comparative Study is based word for word on texts from the Greek government itself, we call on it to explain whether these measures are still valid and how it justifies the reductions or even exclusions it itself requested for each measure in “Greece 2.0.”
It is not just that they drafted a plan for the Recovery and Resilience Facility that is flawed and inadequate for the country—without consultation and without national planning. It is also that they proved incapable of implementing even this flawed plan. “Greece 2.0” is proof of the failure and ineffectiveness of the so-called “staff state.”
Measure 16285 – “Investment: Investments in the national irrigation network through public-private partnership programs,” which was later renamed “Reform: National Water Strategy.”
What Was Originally Planned (July 2021)
According to the initial “Greece 2.0” plan, the investment was “a holistic program to upgrade and modernize the national regulatory framework for the agri-environmental sector, as well as to improve and restore the land. These investments will strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of the agricultural sector, boost the supply and quality of available water, rationalize water consumption, mitigate the risks of salinization and desertification, and address the issue of conserving and protecting biodiversity and natural habitats.”
Milestone 316 of the original “Greece 2.0” plan even called for, by the end of 2025, “Irrigation: completion and commissioning of the 18 projects” in the national irrigation network and “completion based on a certificate from an independent engineer approved by the Ministry of Rural Development.”
“Greece has not launched a major, comprehensive plan for irrigation projects since the 1960s,” Prime Minister Mitsotakis stated on November 8, 2021, adding: “Decades later, we are once again placing major water management projects at the forefront of our political priorities… Today we have the financial tools to be able—under different, more challenging conditions due to climate change—to implement a project that has a nationwide impact and addresses long-standing problems of irrigation water shortages in many regions of the country.”
And he concluded by saying: “I want to make it absolutely clear here that implementing this plan requires speed and strict adherence to the timelines that we ourselves set. Theodoros is right when he says that the Recovery Fund’s resources come with several conditions, not only regarding how they are utilized but also regarding the procedures for their utilization. So, my dear General, the burden of responsibility falls on us to meet the timelines, finalize the studies, obtain the environmental permits, and launch these projects with the speed and consistency that the funding requires. However, private-sector participation is also crucial, because the very purpose of the Recovery Fund is precisely to mobilize private capital… this will be the first time we’ve used it on this scale for such projects.”
Which projects were we talking about? According to documents on the “Greece 2.0” website, as well as the government’s response to a related question posed by PASOK–Movement for Change in 2024, the list of 18 projects definitely included the following:
- Minagiotiko Dam and irrigation network, Messinia Prefecture (budget: 33.5 million euros).
- Modernization of the irrigation network of the Tavropos Local Land Improvement Organization, Karditsa Prefecture (budget: 36.7 million euros).
- Irrigation Network of Yperea, Larissa Prefecture – Orfana, Karditsa Prefecture (budget: 26 million euros).
- Water Transfer and Distribution from the Nestos River to the Xanthi Plain for Irrigation Purposes (budget: 54 million euros).
- Choklakia Reservoir – Agios Ioannis Ierapetra Dam in the Prefecture of Lasithi (budget: 22.5 million euros).
- “Almopaios Irrigation Network” in the Giannitsa Plain (budget: 34,500,000 euros).
The list also included the following:
- Dipotamia Dam and Network in Kastoria.
- Dam at Bougazi, Domokos, and irrigation network, Fthiotida Prefecture.
- Dam at Livadi, Arachova, irrigation network, and hydroelectric power plant, Prefecture of Boeotia.
- TOEB of the Prefecture of Elis (Undergrounding of Flow Networks (Canals) of the TOEBs of Amaliada, A’ Pyrgos, Pelopion, and Epitalio, Prefecture of Elis).
- Kato Acheloos Irrigation Network, Aetolia-Acarnania Prefecture.
- Dam at the location: Dilofos “Kaklitzoremma” and Irrigation Network (Larissa Prefecture)
- Dam at the location: Narthraki “Loukiatzoremma” and irrigation network (Prefecture of Larissa)
- Neochoriti Dam and irrigation network (Trikala Prefecture).
- Grizanou Dam and irrigation network (Trikala Prefecture).
- Achladochori Dam and irrigation network (Prefecture of Trikala).
- Titanos Trikala Dam (weir) and irrigation network.
Current Plans
Of the 18 irrigation projects that, according to the original “Greece 2.0” plan, were supposed to be completed by the end of 2025 through PPPs, none remained in the Recovery and Resilience Fund. Following successive revisions, the objective of Measure 16285 has changed completely and now consists of “the approval of the national water strategy and the issuance of a legislative act to expand the responsibilities of EYDAP (Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company) and EYATH (Thessaloniki Water Supply and Sewerage Company)”...
Measure 16898 – Investment: Water Supply Projects
According to the initial “Greece 2.0” plan, “the investment consists of water supply projects in regions of Western Greece and on the islands of Lesbos and Corfu. The goal of the investment is to meet the high water supply needs during the summer months and to address leakage problems.”
What Was Originally Planned (July 2021)
Milestone 76 even called for the “completion of three water supply subprojects by the end of 2025: a) Preveza, Arta, Lefkada; b) Corfu, and c) Lesbos: completion of water intake and diversion works, pipelines, storage and pumping stations, and commissioning.” The budget for the project in Preveza, Arta, and Lefkada was estimated at 145 million euros; for Lesbos, at 116 million euros; and for Corfu, at 170 million euros.
What is planned now
Nothing. The measure has been completely removed from “Greece 2.0,” as have all projects under this specific measure.
Measure 16850 – Investment: Infrastructure for the supply and conservation of drinking water
What was originally planned (July 2021)
Milestone 74 of “Greece 2.0” originally called for the “completion of all projects by the end of 2025, including the following: 1: Water supply infrastructure in seven regions. 2: Three desalination plants. 3: Telemetry and remote-control systems for detecting leaks in water supply networks. 4: Procurement of digital water meters. 5: Water-conservation measures in at least 45,000 households and 10,000 businesses.”
It was also stipulated that “certification of the completion report by an independent engineer from the Ministry of Environment and Energy” would serve as an indicator of the quality of the milestone’s implementation.
What is currently planned
Milestone 74 now stipulates the following by the end of 2025: “Implementation of at least 50 water supply and conservation infrastructure projects, including the following: a) construction of water supply infrastructure in at least seven regions and at least three desalination plants; b) installation of telemetry and remote-control systems for detecting leaks in water supply networks; and c) installation of digital water meters.”
One can observe that the clear wording in the original “Greece 2.0” plan regarding the “completion of all projects” by the end of 2025 has, following successive revisions, been reduced to simply “project implementation.” Naturally, no completion certification report is now provided as a qualitative indicator of project implementation. And the specific quantitative target of “at least” 45,000 households and 10,000 businesses—which was part of the original “Greece 2.0”—no longer exists…