Civil protection across Greece to better tackle COVID-19 and reduce the loss of life through natural disasters will be transformed under a new €595 million European Investment Bank loan formally agreed earlier today.
Long-term financing and shared technical best-practice will help to transform disaster prevention and response to pandemics and natural disasters including floods, forest fires, and earthquakes in all 13 Greek regions.
The expected impact and broad scope of the first-ever EIB support to the General Secretariat for Civil Protection were highlighted by Christos Staikouras, Finance Minister of the Hellenic Republic and Governor of the European Investment Bank, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management Nikos Chardalias, and Christian Kettel Thomsen, EIB Vice President responsible for Greece during a virtual announcement earlier today.
“The protection of human life from natural disasters and pandemics is a constant top priority for Greece and has become even more crucial after last year’s challenges due to severe weather phenomena and COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s important new agreement with the European Investment Bank will transform civil protection across Greece and help achieve this goal. The European Investment Bank is a key partner of Greece and the new €595 million loan agreed today, following the systematic, hard work done by the Greek Civil Protection and rapid EIB approval, demonstrates how the EIB is supporting visionary investment to fortify Greece against natural disasters, extreme weather, and pandemics,” said Christos Staikouras, Minister of Finance of the Hellenic Republic and Governor of the European Investment Bank.
“Pandemics and natural disaster can occur at any time and investments are crucial to save lives and ensure a quicker and more effective response when disaster strikes. The first-ever European Investment Bank support for the General Secretariat for Civil Protection will accelerate priority projects and procurement of essential equipment across Greece and enable the whole country to help tackle future fires, floods, earthquakes, and pandemics. Fires and floods that have taken a heavy toll in recent years and the impact of COVID-19 have shown how disaster prevention, rapid response, and availability of specialist equipment is essential. This new €595 million long-term financing will accelerate investment to improve environmental protection, disaster management and response to public health emergencies and will allow an even better preparedness of the Civil Protection mechanism,” said Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management, Nikos Hardalias.
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