Joint statement by 56 civil society organisations regarding the National Recovery Plan

Posted: 23/03/2021/Under: Advocacy News, Featured News, PRESS ROOM

Monday 5th April 2021

On March 23rd 2021, 70 civil society organisations sent an open letter to the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Skylakakis, expressing our concern about the lack of transparency and limited opportunities to participate in the drafting of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The letter was also copied to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, and the European Commission Recovery and Resilience Task Force (RECOVER). So far, the government has not responded.

Greece’s cabinet approved the National Recovery and Resilience Plan on 29th March and the government announced  it on 31st March.  They are expected to submit it to the Greek Parliament within the week. Publicising the document just a few days before submitting it to the European Union for approval, leaves no time for either Greek MPs or civil society to give meaningful feedback on the plan’s content and strategic directions.

In a recent statement, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the National Recovery Plan concerns all Greek citizens. The signatory organisations strongly believe that the only way to achieve public support for the plan, and for citizens to truly benefit from its implementation, would be to meaningfully engage the public in its design and implementation. Without inclusive participation, the recovery plan is very likely to overlook many of our fellow citizens and critical issues that need support in order to recover from the present crisis and mitigate future ones.

The government’s greatest responsibility going forward, in addition to the proper allocation of available resources to social justice and environmental protection measures, is to ensure that civil society has the chance to participate meaningfully in carrying out the plan’s directives as well as any other activities related to the recovery. Transparency and accountability are also paramount to successfully implementing the plan. In this spirit, we ask the government to immediately explain what it will do to invite the active participation of civil society and ensure parliamentary control and transparency throughout the process. 

The open letter sent on March 23, 2021 originally co-signed by 70 organisations that come from a variety of fields  (13 more have since added their signatures for a current total of 83) expresses the anxiety felt by a broad swath of civil society organisations about the country’s post-pandemic course. It also emphasises their desire to help design a national recovery plan that truly meets peoples’ needs and paves the way for a sustainable and socially just future. This is a unique opportunity to invest resources for a better tomorrow and it must not be wasted.

Signatory organisations

  1. ActionAid
  2. Action for Wildlife
  3. ANTIGONE – Information and Documentation Centre on Racism, Ecology, Peace and Non Violence
  4. Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation
  5. Arion – Cetacean Rescue and Rehabilitation Research Center
  6. Association for the Protection of Health and Environment of Chalandritsa
  7. Association for the Social Support of Youth
  8. ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
  9. Attica Bike Community – Podilattiki Koinotita
  10. Callisto
  11. Centre for Research on Women’s Issues – Diotima
  12. Common Ground Greece
  13. Danish Refugee Council (DRC)
  14. Doctors of the World Greece
  15. ECHO100PLUS
  16. Ecocity
  17. Ecological Movement of Patras
  18. Ecological Movement of Thessaloniki
  19. Ecological Recycling Society
  20. Emfasis Foundation
  21. Ethelon
  22. Food On
  23. Friends of Monte
  24. Generation 2.0 for Rights, Equality and Diversity
  25. GIVMED
  26. Greek Housing Network
  27. Greek Forum of Migrants
  28. Greenpeace Greece
  29. Hellenic Liver Patient Association “Prometheus”
  30. Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature
  31. HIGGS
  32. HumanRights360
  33. InCommOn
  34. International Rescue Committee (IRC)
  35. Ithaca Laundry
  36. Lesvos Solidarity
  37. Medasset
  38. Melissa: Network of Migrant Women in Greece
  39. Nature Friends Greece
  40. Network for Children’s Rights
  41. NPO “Me Alla Matia”
  42. Organization Tulipa Gulimi
  43. People Behind
  44. Reading to the Others
  45. Samos Volunteers
  46. Schedia Street Magazine
  47. Social Action and Innovation Center
  48. Society for the Care of Minors and Youth
  49. Steps
  50. Support Center of Children and Family
  51. Τerre des hommes Hellas
  52. Thalassa of Solidarity
  53. The HOME Project
  54. Union for the Protection of the Environment of the Corinthian-Patra Gulf – O Nireas
  55. Wind of Renewal
  56. WWF Greece

The open letter sent on March 23, 2021 co-signed by 83 organisations

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Like us on Facebook