Στις αρχές του 2013 θα αρχίσουν οι χρηματοδοτήσεις από το πρόγραμμα JESSICA για κατασκευή έργων σε τομείς όπως αναβάθμιση υποβαθμισμένων αστικών περιοχών, έργα διαχείρισης απορριμμάτων, ανάπτυξη συνεργατικών σχηματισμών (clusters) υψηλής τεχνολογίας και υποδομών, έργα βασικής υποδομής, δίκτυα ενέργειας και έργα βελτίωσης της ενεργειακής απόδοσης.

The selection of the projects to be financed begins immediately, by the new Investment Council appointed by a joint decision of the Ministers of Finance Yannis Stournaras and Development, Competitiveness, Transport, Infrastructure and Networks Kostis Hatzidakis.

President of the JESSICA Investment Council was appointed the Special Secretary of PPP Nikolaos Mantzoufas and members were the Secretary General of Spatial Planning and Urban Environment Socrates Alexiadis, the Deputy Mayor of Athens Fotis Provatas as representative of KEDE, the Director of GAIAOSE Pavlos Chimoniadis and the Head of Unit A' EYSEEP Ioannis Lipiridis.

The Investment Council in cooperation with the European Investment Bank (EIB) defines the investment strategy and coordinates the implementation of JESSICA in Greece, with EU funds of €258 million for the implementation of investments in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) projects and other urban development projects.

The main feature of JESSICA is the multiplier nature of recyclable funds, which are made available through soft loans. The repayment of loans leads to the reinvestment of capital in new actions, thus enhancing the sustainability of investment activity.

The JESSICA project

JESSICA "Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas" is an initiative of the European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB), in cooperation with the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB).

In this context, JESSICA aims to support investment programmes and urban development projects by financing public-private partnerships (PPPs) and other projects.

Distribution of resources by Regional Operational Programme and by Region

The open calls for proposals of the Urban Development Funds (UDFs) of all regions that contributed resources to JESSICA have been approved and published.

The selected Urban Development Funds (UDFs) are:

• The Consortium of Pancretan Cooperative Bank and TT Hellenic Postbank for the Region of Crete.
• The National Bank of Greece for the Regions of Attica, Western Greece, the Ionian Islands and for the Operational Programme "Environment and Sustainable Development" (EPERAA).
• The Investment Bank of Greece for the Regions of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace, North Aegean, Western Macedonia and Epirus.
• Piraeus Bank for the Regions of Central Macedonia and Thessaly.
• EFG Eurobank for the Regions of Central Greece and Peloponnese.