The third call for funding applications for the inclusion of investment projects in the measure: Processing of fishery and aquaculture products, announced the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.

The measure is part of the Operational Programme for Fisheries & the Sea 2014-2020 and is co-financed by 75% by European Union funds and by 25% by Greece.

The measure Processing of fishery and aquaculture products concerns the following types of operations:

• Saving energy or reducing the impact on the environment.
• Improvement of safety, hygiene, health and working conditions.
• Processing of catches not intended for human consumption.
• Processing of by-products.
• Processing of organic aquaculture products.
• New or improved products, processes or management systems.

The objectives of the above Acts will be achieved exclusively through the implementation of the following actions:

Α. Establishment of new processing plants

Β. Mechanical and/or building expansion of existing processing plants.

C. Modernisation or relocation of existing processing plants.

Each submitted investment project should serve exclusively the implementation of one of the above actions, with the exception of actions B and C which can be implemented jointly.

In particular, the processing processes of the above actions concern the preparation and presentation of the presented products, which includes:

• slicing into fillets,
• packaging,
• canning,
• freezing,
• smoking,
• salting,
• cooking,
• preservation in vinegar,
• drying out, or
• preparing the fish for the market in any other way.

Eligibility - Processing of fishery and aquaculture products have:

Natural or Legal persons or their associations, collective bodies and other Organizations, who are responsible for the implementation of the Act submitted for support and who ultimately bear its cost.

Applications of the companies being formed are not accepted.

Applications from companies larger than SMEs shall not be accepted.

The aid shall be granted to Beneficiaries:

• whose solvency and economic viability can be demonstrated,
• who prove their own contribution,
• who have not submitted an application for membership for funding from a National or Community Programme, for all or part of the proposed Operation,
• whose undertakings have (owned or leased) processing facilities. Aid shall not be granted to undertakings served by establishments whose licences have been issued in the name of another undertaking which is also responsible for ensuring compliance with their conditions;
• who comply with the conditions referred to in paragraph 1(a) to (c) of article 10 of Regulation 508/2014 and co-submit a signed declaration of the applicant entrepreneur, in accordance with paragraph 5 of the same article (Model 6A Solemn Declaration).

Budget

The total budget of the measure "Processing of fishery and aquaculture products" amounts to 10,000,000 euros and concerns the entire territory of Greece.

Both the applicant and the approved and finally completed and certified budget of the investment proposals must be over 20,000 euros and not exceed 4,000,000 euros.

Duration of implementation: The date of completion of the Operations (physical and financial object – date of payment of the last invoice of expenses) is set at June 30, 2023, without the possibility of extension.

Application deadline: 02 August 2021 - 15 October 2021