EU funding for the reopening of the National Agricultural Research Foundation (NARF) in Heraklion, Crete

The NARF premises in Katsampa, Heraklion, are abandoned and deserted. Greenhouses formerly used to grow experimental crops are now broken, full of rubbish and overgrown with weeds.

These premises, aside from contributing to scientific research, could be used to supply low-income families with enough food to cover their basic needs. For the NARF to be reopened, it will be necessary to recruit researchers, auxiliaries and greenhouse workers.

How can the Commission help ensure that funding is allocated from EU programmes for the reopening of the aforementioned NARF premises so as to make local varieties more competitive against imported ones, reduce unemployment, and provide food for low-income families made vulnerable by the memorandum?

Source: European Parliament

Answer given by Mr Hogan on behalf of the Commission

The description of the operations in question does not provide the Commission with sufficient details on the matter. It may be possible to provide funding for some of the activities mentioned in the Honourable Member’s question under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), provided that they are part of the relevant Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 period. In line with the principle of shared management it is for the Member States to establish the programmes and designate the competent national authorities responsible for managing and implementing the programmes. The Commission would therefore suggest to the Honourable member to contact directly the Managing Authority of the Rural Development Programme of Greece.