MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Unequal development of tourist ports in the EU – Greece failing to make the most of European tools – E-001359/2025(ASW)

Under the Greek Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP)[1], the ‘Tourism Development’[2] and ‘Upgrade Interventions for Regional Ports’[3] measures support significant port investments aiming to extend the tourism season in Greece beyond the summer months and promote alternative forms of tourism, contributing to economic resilience, sustainable growth and social and territorial cohesion. These investment measures provide funding for infrastructures and interventions in regional ports, tourist ports and marinas.

The EU Cohesion Policy also supports investments in port infrastructure to enhance access to coastal and island regions and strengthen local economies.

In Greece, around EUR 228 million has been allocated through national and regional programmes to improve port facilities, aiming to boost connectivity, foster economic development in island areas, and stimulate tourism growth.

In particular, funding programmes support sustainable maritime tourism such as a call for Green Transition Projects under the Interreg NEXT MED to tackle climate challenges across the Mediterranean region[4].

Under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), regional flagship projects[5] have been supported to strengthen the competitiveness of coastal tourism as well as to promote sustainable transport and ports in the Mediterranean.

The Transition Pathway for Tourism and EU Agenda for Tourism 2030 emphasises the need to transition to a sustainable development model that includes island and coastal economies, considering that 45% of nights spent in the EU are in coastal destinations.

• [1] https://commission.europa.eu/business-economy-euro/economic-recovery/recovery-and-resilience-facility/country-pages/greeces-recovery-and-resilience-plan_en.
• [2] measure ID: 16931.
• [3] measure ID: 16975.
• [4] https://www.interregnextmed.eu/apply-for-funding/second-call-for-proposals/.
• [5] https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/promoting-sustainable-blue-economy-emfaf-flagship-call-2021-projects-year-2023-07-24_en,
  https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/new-emfaf-regional-flagship-projects-just-kicked-their-work-2023-10-12_en.