Evaluating CAP alternative policy scenarios through a system dynamics approach in rural areas of Greece

Current considerations for the post-2013 CAP create the need for the investigation and evaluation of alternative CAP scenarios and their effects on agriculture, environment and regional development in EU rural areas. To this end, a system-dynamics model is developed and utilized to evaluate the impacts of alternative CAP scenarios in a Greek rural area (prefecture of Trikala). This particular model features four basic subsystems (agriculture, environment, regional economy and human resources) specified and analyzed through a linear programming model, a dynamic input-output model and an age-cohort demographic model, respectively. Four alternative policy scenarios are specified, dealing with possible developments on Pillars 1 and 2. Model simulations produce scenario-specific effects for the 2007-2013 period, and up to 2020 in the form of changes in land use and farm output, environmental indicators associated with farm activity, economy-wide impacts and impacts on local population. Results show that different future orientations for the CAP are associated with different impacts on agricultural activity, the environment and total economic activity in this area. A reduction of Pillar 1 funds and a dedication of Pillar 2 spending on Axis 2 generate negative effects on local agriculture, but benefit the local environment and economy-wide incomes. On the other hand, a more “productive” orientation of Pillar 2 positively affects local employment (compared to the current CAP) but does not create any positive or negative effects on the environment of this regionCAP, policy impact assessment, rural development, system dynamics, Agricultural and Food Policy, C61, C67, Q18, R58,

Approach to the Effects of Greek Regional Universities on Development of the Country Regions

Although the start of the debate on the contribution of universities to the local and regional development dates back to several decades ago, it is only in the past 25 years that it has been intensified and seen from a new angle of investigation and consideration. It is therefore imperative that the “higher education – development†relationship be reviewed and placed on different basis. The causes for this is the major change in the content of “development" and the concept of “university†[mainly in terms of its role in the society and economy], the new policies and socio-economic conditions globally, the contemporary weight attributed to new technologies and knowledge dissemination as a “development factorâ€, as well as the large number of unsuccessful attempts to use the universities a “means†for development. In the context of this general consideration at global level, it is investigated whether the Greek regional universities- as they have been established, allocated, organized and operating- have played, and may play, some part in the development of the broader areas [region, town]. In other words, it is investigated whether the expansion of higher education institutions throughout Greece has contributed to the improvement of the education quality standard and resolution of the country’s “regional problemâ€. The approach to this question is based on the grounds of two principal pursuits. First, it is studied whether and how the expansion of university education has been used as a “means of development†at the principal stages of the country's “regional development†[1946-1999]. It is, therefore, investigated whether the policy on regional universities planning and establishment was integrated in the broader framework of policies on development and education, also taking into account the regional and local specificities, needs and capabilities. Second, it is studied which are the main “operational factors†that seem to have influenced the development role of regional universities and the relationship of the latter with local societies. The implementation of the study was based on the investigation of the relevant international and Greek bibliography, and on a series of surveys focusing on : a) the Greek planning system for “developmentâ€, “spatialâ€, “regional policies†and their association with “higher education†and b) the entirety of regional universities [8 universities, 1999] and cities - prefecture capitals of Greece [53], placing special emphasis on the seventeen university-cities [2003].

Crisis and Prosperity: Status, Accountability and Time in Central Greece

This thesis is concerned with how people negotiate periods of socio-economic crisis and prosperity in the town of Trikala, Thessaly, central Greece. Localised understandings of the global economic crisis are analysed in relation to history, social status and concepts of time. The complex interaction between people within global and local economic networks is also emphasised. It is argued that certain historical periods are crucial to Trikalini conceptualisations of the current economic crisis. Specific past events significantly inform understandings of the present crisis through what is termed ‘cultural proximity’. This is the notion that previous times of social and economic turmoil, apparently distant points in time, are embodied within the context of the present. Some past epochs of prosperity and crisis have proved more significant than others in shaping contemporary crisis experience. As accounts of the Great Famine of 1941-1943 are brought to the fore by the current economic crisis, concepts of lineal time and the nationalisation of critical events must be interrogated. How economic crisis affects perceptions of social status, mobility and political accountability in Trikala are also explored. Such perceptions are further informed by the consequences of past local and national level crises and the uneven incorporation of capitalist trends in central Greece. Through the exploration of cultural economic patterns and the social significance of historical events, the impacts of economic crisis in Trikala are explored. By examining accounts of crisis in Trikala, the case is made for understanding crisis trends with global implications within the context of cultural repertoires and historical frameworks. Trikala thus becomes a microcosm through which to conceptualise the current economic crisis in Europe

The late Byzantine and early Ottoman Trikala of Thessaly

Η σύνθεση των δεδομένων του οθωμανικού καταστίχου BBA/MM 10 με τα στοιχεία των πηγών της υστεροβυζαντινής περιόδου, αποκαλύπτει τη συνέχεια στις λειτουργίες της πόλης των Τρικάλων ως εξέχοντος διοικητικού και εμπορικού κέντρου, ενώ το αγροτικό σκέλος της οικονομίας της πόλεως είχε ενδεχομένως περιοριστεί. Η βασική διαφοροποίηση έχει να κάνει με την ισχυρή, και πλειοψηφική ήδη από τα μέσα του 15ου αιώνα, παρουσία του μουσουλμανικού στοιχείου, που αλλάζει σε σημαντικό βαθμό την φυσιογνωμία της πόλη

Development and Prospects of the Greek Cooperative Credit System

The credit cooperative system was established in Greece in 1993, following the creation of the appropriate legislative framework. The Greek system distinguishes two types of institutions: the cooperative bank that functions as a bank and the credit cooperative that cannot provide banking services. The Greek cooperative system is characterized by the autonomous and nonhomogenous development of the cooperative banks and credit cooperatives. Moreover, in 2001 the cooperative banks created a central nation-wide bank that has since helped the further development of the credit cooperative system. However and despite the large number of geographic departments involved in the credit cooperative system, the expansion of cooperative banks in the Greek bank market is limited, principally due to legislative restrictions and the lack of dynamism these restrictions create to the credit cooperative system, while operating in a very competitive market environment.Cooperative bank, Credit union, Credit cooperative, Cooperative credit system, Greece, Agribusiness,

Regional Specialization of Greek Prefectures for the Time Period 1981-2001

Intense regional inequalities are considered to be widespread in Greece. Indeed, Athens mainly, and Thessaloniki consist the two poles in Greece, Thessaloniki in a lower degree though. In these two cities the larger part of industrial activity, as well as, tertiary sector activities, is assembled. On the contrary, in the other Greek regions not only the economic activities but also the infrastructures have been developed in smaller degree. Moreover, as it is well known, two Greek regions (Northern Aegean, Epirus) are among the poorest in the European Union. This fact constitutes a reluctant factor to the effort of Greece to increase the standard of living of the citizens. In addition, the last two decades, a significant decrease of the contribution of primary sector to the GDP with simultaneous increase of the contribution of the tertiary sector is observed. The particular change involves significant repercussions to the national economy. The aim of this paper is the study of the specialization of Greek prefectures as well as spatial distribution of 13 sectors of economic activity using employment data and methods of regional analysis such as Gini – Hirschman coefficient, Location Quotient Coefficient (LQ), Coefficient of Location (CL), Coefficient of Specialization (CS) and analysis of variation – participation.

Social and Economic Transformations in Rural Thessaly, 1850–1940

This article is part of a research project on the transformations that took placebetween 1850 and 1940 in the province of Thessaly, an extensive rural region of the Balkan Peninsula. It focuses on the changes in the economic, social and demographic levels, highlighting the interrelation of these changes in rural Thessaly from the promulgation of the Land Law (1858) under the Ottoman Tanzimat reforms to the annexation of Thessaly and the implementation of extensive land reforms in the 1920s by the Greek state

Social and Economic Transformations in Rural Thessaly, 1850–1940

This article is part of a research project on the transformations that took placebetween 1850 and 1940 in the province of Thessaly, an extensive rural region of the Balkan Peninsula. It focuses on the changes in the economic, social and demographic levels, highlighting the interrelation of these changes in rural Thessaly from the promulgation of the Land Law (1858) under the Ottoman Tanzimat reforms to the annexation of Thessaly and the implementation of extensive land reforms in the 1920s by the Greek state