1st Conference for Self-government of the South Aegean Region

1st Conference for Self-government of the South Aegean Region

3rd - 4th July 2004
Kimolos, Greece

The Development of the islands' regions, necessary requirement for the European perspective of the country

The European Organisation for Strategic Planning (E.O.S.P.) in the frames of the 1st Conference for Self-government of the South Aegean Region which was held in Spring 2005 at Ermoupolis of Syros, held a conference with the objective to record the problems of the islands of the South Cyclades as well as the strengthening of the role of Self-government Organisations.

The Conference was held in Kimolos from 3rd to 4th July 2004. Issues were discussed and analysed like the relief of the islands' isolation, environment, treatment of complete depopulation, halieutics, balanced ecological development, entrepreneurship, tourism, sea transportations and tax motivations.

Those issues were highlighted as dominating, in the faith that their treatment and administration can and must come through the Self-government policies always in collaboration with the Government.

In the conference participated:
- The General Secretary of the South Aegean Region, Mr. Charalambos Kokkinos
- The Prefect of Cyclades, Mr. Dimitrios Bailas
- The Eparch of Milos, Ms. Nota Kalogeraki
- The President of the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) Mr. Nikolaos Giannis
- Mayors - Heads of Communities from Cyclades, representatives of local entities, university professors, scientific bodies, economists, professional representatives

Strategic objectives of the conference

- The prominence of the possibilities of Self-government in the issues of the relief of the islands' isolation, especially during the winter months and the provision and treatment of the phenomenon of complete depopulation.
- The modulation of a framework for active participation of Self-government in the issues of sea transportation, environment, entrepreneurship and balanced economic growth.
- The formation of a complete suggestion to the Government related to tax motivations that must be accorded to the islands for the strengthening of the entrepreneurship on them.
- The creation of common actions between the Self-government Organisations of the South Aegean Region for the exchange of expertise and the best promotion of those critical issues.

Program

1st day

Kimolos, Saturday 3rd July 2004
09:00- 09:30: Participants' Arrival - Registration

09:30 - 10:10: Opening of conference proceedings

Presiding Board
- Georgios Koromilas, Economist, General Secretary of Finances and Taxes of E.O.S.P., Responsible of the Scientific Committees of the Pan-Hellenic Federation of Freelance Tax Advisors (P.O.F.E.E.)
- Antonios Koliopoulos, Economist. Vice-President of P.O.F.E.E., Expert Secretary of E.O.S.P., Member of the Representatives' Council of the Economic Chamber of Greece
- Nota Kalogeraki, Eparch of Milos
- Aggeliki Papalexopoulou - Synodinou, Mayor of Serifos
- Ioannis Prezanis, Vice-president of the Kimolos Community

Welcoming the Participants
- Spyridon Tsirigotis, Mayor of Megalopolis, President of E.O.S.P.
- Dimitrios Bailas, Prefect of Cyclades
- Ioannis Dekavallas, Mayor of Ermoupolis Syros, President of the Local Union of Municipalities and Communities (TEDK)
- Nota Kalogeraki, Eparch of Milos

Officials' Greetings
- Charalambos Kokkinos, General Secretary of South Aegean Region
- Nikolaos Giannis, President of the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP)

A' Session

Relief of the islands' isolation in the South Aegean Region

10:10 - 10:30: Sea Transportation and environment
- Nikolaos Giannis, President of the Piraeus Port Authority
- Iakovos Roussos, President of the Community of Anafe
- Averkios Gaitanis, President of the City Council of Milos

10:30 - 11:10: Reinforcement of the existent system of transportations and communications
- Aria Manousou - Binopoulou, Member of the Parliament, of N.D. for Cyclades
- Panagiotis Rigas, Member of Parliament, of PASOK for Cyclades
- Fotios Tsantilas, Representative Director of Transportation and Communications of the Prefecture of Cyclades
- Panagiotis Chatzivasiliou, lieutenant commander Hellenic Coast Guard, Port Master of Milos

11:10 - 11:25: Modulation of a new system with the active participation of the Self-government Organisations
- Dimitrios Bailas, Prefect of Cyclades

B' Session

Tourism

11:25 -11:35: Reorientation of the touristic development
- Aggeliki Papalexopoulou - Synodinou, Mayor of Serifos

11:35 - 12:05: Alternative forms of tourism
- Dimitrios Lagos, Professor of the University of the Aegean
- Evaggelos Velitzelos, President of the Faculty of Geology at the National University of Athens

12:05 - 12:15: Touristic Infrastructure
- Gerasimos Damoulakis, President of the Hotels Union of Milos

12:15 - 12:30: Break

C' Session

Entrepreneurship

12:30 -13:10: Municipal / Communal enterprises
- Efstathios Papachristopoulos, Executive of the Regional Fund of West Greece, Member of the Board of E.O.S.P.
- Theodoros - Gerasimos Maganiotis, Economist, European Community Consultant of Kimolos, Editor of the Newspaper "Kimolos News"
- Ioannis Niklitsas, Economist, Member of the Municipal Committee of the Municipality of Zefyri Attica

13:10 - 13:35: Main Coordinating Role of the Self-government Organisations in the entrepreneurship's development
- Nikos Trikalitis, City Councillor of the Municipality of Thebes, Economist, Regional Planner, National Technical University of Athens, Vice-president of the Scientific Committee of E.O.S.P.
- Ioannis Rousos, President. of the Cyclades Region

13:35 - 13:50: Training of the personnel of the Local Self-government Organisations and the Municipal / Community enterprises
- Ares Gournas, Economist, Educational Consultant

D' Session

Tax motivations for development

13:50 - 14:00: Strengthening of entrepreneurship through tax motivations on the small islands of the South Aegean Region
- Eleftherios Fraidakis, Economist, A' Vice-president of the Economic Chamber of Greece
- Paleologos Liazos, Economist

14:00 - 14:15: Existing motivation
- Antonios Koliopoulos, Economist, Vice-President of P.O.F.E.E., Expert Secretary of E.O.S.P., Member of the Representatives' Council of the Economic
Chamber of Greece

14:15 - !4:30: Suggestions of substantive tax motivations in view of tax reformation
- Georgios Koromilas, Economist, General Secretary of Finances and Taxes of E.O.S.P., Responsible of the Scientific Committees of P.O.F.E.E.

14:30 - 18:30: Break

E' Session

Primary Sector

18:30 - 19:10: Metallurgical production, agriculture - stock farming - halieutics, partnerships
- Ioannis Glynos, Mayor of Korthio Andros
- Nikos Trikalitis, City Councillor of the Municipality of Thebes, Economist, Regional Planner, National Technical University of Athens, Vice-president of the Scientific Committee of E.O.S.P.

F' Session - Round Table

Complete depopulation and Local Self-government Organisations

19:10 - 20:45: The phenomenon of depopulation. Measures for prevention and treatment of the phenomenon. Water resources - Problem of subsaline water. Estimations of the degradation of productive land. Local action plans.
- Panagiotis Sabatakis, Hydro-geologist researcher, Directorate of Hydro-geology, Greek Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (IGME)
- Ioannis Gikas, Section Head at IGME, Department of mineral resources and metallurgical research
- Dr Sideris Theocharopoulos, Director of International Relations, Validation and Informatics of the central department of the National Agricultural  Research Foundation (N.AG.RE.F.)
- Antonios Sardis, European Community Consultant of the Community of Kimolos
- Georgios Manalis, President of the Community of Syros
- Iakovos - Antonios Armaos, Political Scientist, Communication Specialist, Politician of N.D. for the Cyclades Region

To the Round Table aside the speakers, participated:
- Ioannis Glynos, Mayor of Korthio Andros
- Georgios Martinos, Mayor of Kythnos
- Representative of the Municipality of Kea
- Representative of the Community of Donousi Naxos

20:45 - 21:00: Conclusions - Closure of Proceedings
- Georgios Koromilas, Economist, General Secretary of Finances and Taxes of E.O.S.P., Responsible of the Scientific Committees of the P.O.F.E.E.