Strategic Targets for Agricultural Development And Restructuring of the Countryside 

The beginning of the new millenium finds Greek Agriculture, both strategically and tactically, fully prepared for confronting the parameters which will arise as a result of the dynamically ever changing international environment. An environment which at the European level includes the application of the agricultural aspect of Agenda 2000 and at the international level includes the negotiations being carried out at the turning point of the millenium within the framework of the World Trade Organization.

It is within this environment that we have shaped our policies which will promote our strategy for the Development of agriculture, the Competitiveness of our products and the Restructuring of the countryside. It is these policies which, based on economic realism, social sensitivity and vision of prospective outcome, will mould new dynamics, which will minimize the inherent shortcomings and structural weaknesses of Greek agriculture and will lead to an increase of agricultural income.

In this course, we have already ensured the necessary resources. By means of the continuing inflow of community subsidies (2000-2006) at the level of trillions of drachmas and of direct grants for investments and policies at the level of 4 trillions of drachmas. To the above amounts, one must add very substantial national resources, private capital and of course the indirect benefits resulting from the sectorally oriented programs of the 3rd Community Support Framework.

However, Development and competitiveness will also be supported by means of the establishment of a novel institutional framework, which will be directed towards the strengthening of the cooperative institution, the inter-professional product organizations, the decentralized restructuring of services, the novel framework of trade rules, the companies founded for supporting policies, promoting products and management. A novel institutional environment is already being created, which is to bring an end to the historical circle of institutional approaches of the past century and to open out new perspectives which will accelerate long term targets of the agricultural economy.

If development and competitiveness are to be promoted through the application of new institutions of trade policies in the international environment, restructuring of the countryside will be obtained through application of an integrated economic and social intervention in the world of agriculture. Because neither agriculture nor Greek rural regions can exist if short of an attractive, modern, viable and with a daily quality of life countryside.

It is precisely for this reason that the balanced development of local societies, the elimination of inherent inequalities, the maintenance of the environment and the ecosystem, the quality of the products produced, the multi-functioning and the creation of supplementary incomes constitute the principal political directions to be followed in the forthcoming years.

At the outset of the new century, we have formulated a concrete strategy for the primary sector of the economy. In the same time, we have ensured the necessary financial resources for implementing our policies. Our faith to the farmer, the world of agriculture and its organizations lead us to the belief that the year 2000 does not only constitute a turning point in time, but it is the starting point for a different era for agricultural economy and restructuring of the Greek countryside.