- Deputy Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Stefanos Gikas spoke at the KEDE Conference (Nov. 6–8, Alexandroupoli)
- €26 million to be paid by year’s end for the Transport Equivalent program
- New rules to simplify declaring islands in an emergency due to drought
- Subsidy for ferry routes jumps from €90M in 2019 to €168M in 2025
- New Alexandroupoli–Sigri–Chios–Piraeus route to launch early 2026 (€13M)
- 30 island ports set for infrastructure upgrades and fleet modernization
- Collaboration announced between ministries to monitor the island’s water supply
- Emphasis on EU recognition of the “Island Clause” for fair regional development
- Cultural heritage initiatives include lighthouse restorations and excavation funding
At the annual KEDE Conference in Alexandroupoli, Deputy Minister of Shipping and Island Policy Stefanos Gikas offered a comprehensive overview of island challenges — from ferry subsidies to drought declarations — and concluded with a key figure: €26 million in payments for passengers, fuel, and businesses under the Transport Equivalent scheme.
“By the end of the year,” Gikas said, “we will have completed payments for passengers and fuel for 2024, and businesses for 2022 — a total of about €26 million. After the audits, we’ll open declarations for 2023.”
It was the kind of figure that lands well at conferences — straightforward, round, and easy to remember.
Islands Under Pressure
Gikas also announced that procedures will soon be simplified for declaring islands in a state of emergency due to drought, following an agreement with the Ministry of Environment. In his words:
“We agreed to simplify the processes set by the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy, and Water so that a drought emergency can be declared faster. The Environment Ministry will soon issue the relevant announcements.”
That small bureaucratic change may matter more than the fanfare: many island municipalities have been warning for years that water shortages are worsening faster than paperwork can catch up.
From Ferry Routes to Energy Routes
He also highlighted the expansion of ferry subsidies from €90 million in 2019 to €168 million in 2025, covering 77 routes. He confirmed that the long-promised Alexandroupoli–Sigri–Chios–Piraeus line will finally launch in early 2026 with a €13 million budget, fulfilling a commitment by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
The Deputy Minister could not resist adding a geopolitical note, describing the port of Alexandroupoli as:
“A hub of international interest and a key European energy gateway, with the FSRU terminal strengthening both national and European energy security.”
What Comes Next
The Ministry’s plan includes upgrading port infrastructure on 30 islands, modernizing the coastal fleet, and expanding the Island Policy Secretariat’s partnerships with research institutions such as KEPE, EETAA, and TEE.
Cultural and architectural heritage will also get attention — through lighthouse restoration studies, excavation funding, and the creation of a repository for listed Aegean buildings and settlements.
In short, Stefanos Gikas’s keynote was part progress report, part wish list. Between the millions promised, the routes planned, and the water crises pending, Greece’s islands once again find themselves balancing between optimism and logistics.