TFGR Greece
Task Force for Greece
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12 active TA policy domains
1.Accelerate Cohesion policy projects
7.Public Health
2.Access to Finance/Financial Sector
8.Reform of Judicial System
3.Reform of Public Administration
9.Migration, Asylum and Borders
4.Budget and Taxation
10.Labour Market, Social Security, ed.
5.Anti-corruption/AML
11.Privatisation and Land Registry
6.Business Environment
12.Energy, Transport and
Environment
Task Force for Greece
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TA delivery methods :
1. Upstream dialogue, preparation and coordination
2. Expert missions (Sept 2011-Sept 2013):
• 356 expert missions including 29 workshops
• 1965 Expert Days
• heavy investment of "own-resources" by MS Domain Leaders (FR, NL, DE);
• 25 MS have provided experts; Most active: FR, NL, DE, SE, BE, EE, ES, AU, UK,
DK
3. Small value EU COM contracts (since Nov 12): 36 signed contracts of € 418,000
4. Long-Term assistance projects:
• EU COM funded projects: 6 [8,3M €] + 4 in discussion for [2M€]
• GR funded projects: 2 [2,2M€] with OECD + 1 with WHO [10m]
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Number of Expert days
(mostly funded by EC):
break down by policy field:
total 1965 expert days.
TA missions: breakdown by
policy field (total of 356
missions)
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Business environment
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Business Environment
Opening up markets:
1. OECD and Greek Administration
2. Sectors Screened
•
Food
•
Retail
•
Construction products
•
Tourism
OECD found 555
problematic provisions in regulations (e.g.
Barriers to Entry; Price Distortions ; Third-party levies)
3. 329 Recomendations : total effect from rising expenditure,
increased turnover and lower prices for the Greek consumer EUR 5.2
billion annually, or the equivalent of 2.5% of GDP.
4. Next step: Omnibus Law in preparation to Parliament before
Easter
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Business Environment:
Cutting red tape:
1. OECD and Greek Administration: target is to cut admin, burden
for companies by 25%
2. 13 Sectors Screened:
VAT, Public Procurement, Company Law/Annual Accounts, Working
Environment/Employment Relations, Agriculture, Energy, Environment,
Fisheries, Food Safety, Pharmaceutical Legislation, Statistics,
Telecommunications, Tourism
OECD measured the administrative burdens of legislation & is in the
process of making recommendations in these sectors
3. Next step: Omnibus Law in preparation to parliament before
Easter
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Business environment:
Public procurement

3 main working streams for which TA is provided:
 1) Comprehensive reform of public procurement legislation
 TA is provided to the Single Public Procurement Authority, who
presented in December a draft codified and simplified PP law
 2) Centralisation of procurement through the creation of
Central Purchasing Bodies and the use of framework agreements
 TA is provided to SG Commerce – first wave of framework
agreements is currently being launched
 3) Effective use and enhacement of e-procurement tools
 (e-notification portal+e-procurement platform) 2 independent
experts evaluated the 2 systems and drafted a report with
suggestions to improve their functionalities
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Business environment:
Trade Facilitation
1. Achievements:
•
Adoption of a detailed TF roadmap (-50% time to export in 3 years)
•
Pre-Customs: simplification risk analysis systems and roll-out of approved
trader scheme for exporters of fruits and vegetables…
•
Customs: opening of the customs brokers profession, roll out of eCustoms,
risk based controls, electronic procedures/payments…
2. Priorities for TA:
•
Pre-Customs: simplification of national legislation, development of electronic
tools for traders (single-window for exports)
•
Customs:
•
•
Continuation of simplification reforms in customs offices
Development of a Long term strategy for Customs to support the national
budget & economic policy, trade & business needs
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Financing of Real Economy
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Access to Finance (1/2)
1. Banking sector
•
1st round of recapitalisation of Greek banks has been finalised
•
Total volume of loans to corporates is still decreasing
2. Liquidity instruments supported by EU Structural Funds
•
1,7 bn EUR from EU Structural Funds (SF) were provided to generate together with banks - in total 3,2 bn EUR new loans for SMEs
•
360 million EUR of new loans were contracted until December 2013
3. TA focused on two directions:
•
improve effectiveness of financial instruments under SF
•
create a new instrument to complement lending (guarantee scheme)
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Access to Finance (2/2)
4.
Improve effectiveness of SF
•
•
5.
6.
High level discussion platform (MoD, banks, SMEs, TFGR, ETEAN,
EIF,
EIB)
which proposes ideas to improve access to credit for SMEs

Main conclusions: Lack of collateral; simplification of instruments
and procedures is needed

Electronic information platform with all existing financial
instruments and creation of a National SMEs application tool
Working group on simplification (MoD – TFGR)
Institution for Growth in Greece (IfG)
•
Steering committee (Hellenic Republic, German KfW, EIB, EIF, EU
Commission, France)
•
Law passed in December 2013: Greece provides 350 million EUR; KfW:
100 million EUR; Onassis foundation 30 million EUR
•
Implementation planned before summer break
Better design for next programming
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Greece financial instruments
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Structural Funds
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Structural Funds
1. Figures for next programming period :
•
Total Envelope EU Funds (excl EAFRD) 15.5Bln€
 ERDF 8.37 Bln€;
 ESF 3.95 Bln€;
 CF 3.24Bln€;
•
Agri related 18.2Bln €
 EAFRD 4.2Bln€;
 Support to markets 14Bln€;
2. Priorities for TA:
•
Finalisation of partnership agreement for 2014-2020 + preparation of
operational programmes;
•
Simplification of management and control procedures
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Public Administration Reform
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Reform of public administration (1/2)
1. Achievements:
•
Set-up of the Council of Reform (GCR) and of the SG interministerial
coordination
•
Preparation of a 2 years strategy and action plan for the reform (including
HR topics) (imminent adoption)
•
GCR decisions on reorganization of the of line Ministries
•
Staff reduction (>200,000 staff over last 4 years)
2. Priorities for TA:
•
Optimal functioning of GCR and SG interministerial
•
Finalization of the evaluation of public entities
•
Implementation of the transformation decisions taken by the GRC
•
Adoption and implementation of the 2 years action plan - definition of
relevant financing
•
Adoption and implementation of the Digital and eGovernment strategies
•
Procedure of selection of middle & senior managers
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Reform of public administration (2/2)
Main chapters covered by the 2 years action plan (example of actions)
(1) Improve the coordination of the administration: capacity of the GRC to steer,
development of policy, …
(2) Enhance the internal effectiveness: strengthen support functions (HR, ICT,
audit, internal control, etc)….
(3) Strengthen the efficiency and accountability of the civil servants: evaluation
of civil servants performance, internal mobility capacity, etc
(4) Design a citizen-oriented public sector: improve key processes which are
linked to citizens and companies' satisfaction
(5) Communicate and manage change
(6) In parellel strong ICT component to the modernisation of the state
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Anti corruption
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Anti-money-laundering/anti-corruption:
1. Recent developments
•
Extensive training for AML and AC officials (over 700 participants);
•
New AML law setting up a registry of bank accounts, system is operational end of
January 2014;
•
Appointment of national coordinator on Anti-Corruption responsible for
implementing the national strategy on AC; Fighting Anti-Corruption will
contribute to supporting economic growth.
•
Strong activity of Financial Intelligence Unit (1446 cases of suspected tax
evasion, 405 cases sent to Prosecutor's Office, freezing of assets worth
more than EUR 140 million).
2. Next priorities for TA:
•
Adoption and implementation of the New Agenda for Anti
Laundering, including recommendations from AML Network report;
•
Support of anti-corruption coordinator and his office;
•
Develop proper implementation plan for AC strategy.
•
Develop actions for AC strategy in use of structural funds
Task Force for Greece
Money
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Conclusions
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Conclusions:
1. Reform design phase over: time for implementation:
•
Political leadership remain crucial;
•
Change management and leadership skills lacking;
•
Resource constraints (staff, motivation, budget);
•
Cross-Ministerial coordination;
2.
Broadening of TA programme:
•
>50% of TA directed towards admin reform and tax/budget;
•
Doubling of support for use of other policies (cohesion funds,
AML/AC, privatisation + land registry, private health).
3. Financing of future TA.
•
Centrally managed budget for TA
 Small value contracts
 Long term projects
•
Task Force forTransfer
Greece
Art 25 of new SF regulation
of fund from shared
management (GR) to the Commission for TA purposes
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