Questions about the intentions and implementation of the program for the creation of network of trails, funded with €30 million from the Recovery Fund. The allocation of up to €800,000 per municipality is considered an exorbitantly high amount for such infrastructure and raises fears that «contractor-type» projects will be prioritized. Furthermore, the response time for municipalities—in relation to the number of supporting documents required, including approved studies—is extremely limited. Finally, the inclusion of Mount Athos and indeed with a specific budget, when by definition it is an area with restricted access, which is not a natural but a religious destination.
The project, carried out by the Ministry of Environment, implemented by OFYPEKA, was announced two years ago, but the relevant call for expressions of interest was only published recently. Municipalities, regions, the Holy Community of Mount Athos, and legal entities of the Church (e.g., monasteries) are eligible to apply for funding. The project must involve the creation of new or the promotion of existing hiking and cycling routes and has a number of requirements, such as:
• The request must be accompanied by mature studies.
• Each interested party can claim up to €800,000, an amount that rises to €1.5 million for areas affected by fire.
• The 20% of the budget will be allocated exclusively to mountainous or small island municipalities and municipalities in border areas.
Many stakeholders argue that the significant amount of funding will lead to «contractor-driven» projects.
• Another 7% will be allocated exclusively to Mount Athos. This choice raises many questions, as access to Mount Athos is not free and therefore, by definition, half the country's population will not benefit. Furthermore, Mount Athos is not a nature destination, nor can anyone visit it freely as such. Finally, due to its special status, Mount Athos is not bound by the obligations imposed by Greek environmental legislation, nor can it be controlled by the competent authorities in our country.
«Minimal margin»
«The two-month window given to municipalities to submit a request is minimal,» says Vasilis Karachalios, an ELLET collaborator at Monopatia Politismou. «Therefore, it is as if it is “photographing” those who were aware and had prepared themselves. Furthermore, there is a condition that OFYPKA reserves the right to accept applications, even without all the supporting documents being submitted, if it deems it appropriate, which is obviously problematic. Finally, €800,000 per municipality is an unreasonably high amount, unless you approach the creation of trails from a contractor's perspective.».
«The positive aspect is that this is one of the largest grants ever given for trails at an international level. The negative aspect is the potential for cost overruns. The average cost for an 80-120 km network is between €100,000 and €200,000, depending on the difficulties,» says Phoebus Tsaravopoulos, founder of Paths of Greece. «The amount of €800,000 per municipality is enormous. In addition, they require that the studies be mature and licensed, which cannot be done within a month unless an area had started much earlier. Another issue is that it requires rest areas, such as kiosks. This is no longer considered good practice, both because such infrastructure is abandoned and because people prefer to sit under a tree.» As for Mount Athos, «the funding is very large for its size and population.».
«We requested approved studies so that we could move as quickly as possible,» says Deputy Minister of the Environment George Amiras. «Besides, the municipalities knew that the call would be made; we had informed KEDE (Central Union of Municipalities of Greece) last year, I had informed the networks of small island municipalities and mountain municipalities, and I repeat this to every municipality I visit. I don't think the funding per municipality is excessive, considering what we want to achieve: a large, modern network with many circular routes passing through villages to boost ecotourism.» As for Mount Athos, «we chose it for two reasons. First, the trails will contribute to fire protection, as they will provide access to areas with dense vegetation. Second, the people of Mount Athos themselves asked us to do so.».
