Roads, flood protection projects, hospitals, schools, digital services, energy infrastructure, and business investment are at the forefront of the new National Development Program 2026–2030.

The new National Development Program 2026–2030 was presented yesterday by Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis and Deputy Minister Nikos Papathanasis, in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The new development framework mobilizes a total of €23 billion in national resources for the 2026–2030 period, combining the new NDP programming with supplementary funding from the Public Investment Development Program (PIDP) and commitments carried over from the previous programming period.

The NDP is the primary financing tool for projects funded exclusively through national resources and operates alongside the NSRF (ESPA) and the Recovery and Resilience Fund. It essentially finances projects that cannot be included in co-financed European programs.

The detailed implementation plan for the National Development Program, presented yesterday by the leadership of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance to the relevant Monitoring Committee, outlines how national resources will be allocated, which projects will receive priority, and which sectors will attract the largest share of public investment through the end of the decade.

At the planning level, the core budget of the National Development Program itself amounts to €13.55 billion and may increase to €17.1 billion through the program’s overcommitment mechanism.

These funds are allocated to Sectoral and Regional Development Programs, which form an integral part of the NDP, as well as to special initiatives of national importance. The new programming period also introduces, for the first time, a unified system of performance indicators, a common evaluation methodology, and a stronger link between projects and specific, measurable outcomes.

Of the NDP’s resources, the largest share is directed toward the Sectoral Development Programs, which receive more than €9.3 billion, while substantial funding is also allocated to Regional Development Programs and special projects of national significance.

The plan is built around seven major development objectives covering nearly the full spectrum of public policy. These objectives include social cohesion, infrastructure and transport, civil protection, strengthening entrepreneurship, digital transformation, green development, and technical support for implementing the program itself.

The Biggest Beneficiaries

The largest allocation is directed toward infrastructure and transport, with a budget exceeding €3 billion. This is the program’s strongest pillar and includes new highways, railway improvements, port and airport infrastructure, road safety projects, and urban mobility initiatives.

More than €1.3 billion is allocated to road infrastructure alone, while nearly €867 million is earmarked for multimodal and urban mobility projects, and another €547 million for road safety improvements.

The second-largest pillar is social cohesion, with total interventions exceeding €2.6 billion. This includes investments in healthcare, education, sports, social housing, housing policy, public health protection, and strengthening territorial cohesion, with particular emphasis on island, mountainous, and rural regions.

Notable allocations include more than €658 million for education and nearly €200 million to strengthen healthcare infrastructure.

Significant emphasis is also placed on civil protection and addressing the climate crisis, with a total budget of approximately €1.44 billion. Funding will support flood protection projects, river and stream clearing, natural disaster prevention, restoration of infrastructure damaged by extreme weather, and strengthening early warning systems and civil protection mechanisms.

Businesses, Technology, and the Green Transition at the Center

Strengthening the economy’s competitiveness is another major priority. Approximately €1.76 billion is allocated to the development objective covering innovation, international competitiveness, and entrepreneurship. These funds will support research and innovation, businesses, industry, culture, tourism, and the agri-food sector.

The largest share of this funding is devoted to improving business competitiveness, with a budget of nearly €740 million.

In addition:

• More than €243 million is allocated to research and innovation.
• Nearly €294 million is designated for modern cultural infrastructure.
• €121 million will fund the protection and promotion of archaeological sites and monuments.
• Approximately €90 million is allocated to promoting Greek tourism.

The program aims to strengthen the link between production and innovation while supporting sectors with high added value.

Digital transformation is also a key pillar of the new strategy. The NDP allocates approximately €748 million to digitization projects, new digital platforms, upgrading information systems, cybersecurity, and the use of artificial intelligence in public administration.

The largest share of these funds goes toward digital infrastructure and information technologies, which receive approximately €345 million, while another €167 million is allocated to digitizing and automating administrative processes. Significant funding is also provided for new electronic platforms, data protection, and AI applications in the public sector.

Emphasis on Green Development

Another major pillar of the program is the green transition, with a total budget exceeding €1.63 billion. The interventions span the full range of environmental policy, from renewable energy to water management, waste management, and urban regeneration.

The largest allocations include:

• Approximately €429 million for green cities, covering urban renewal, modernization of urban transport, and energy-efficiency interventions.
• Around €387 million for water supply infrastructure.
• Nearly €368 million for waste management.

In addition, more than €217 million is allocated to projects related to the energy transition and renewable energy sources, while substantial funding is also directed toward water resource management through projects involving dams, irrigation networks, and water reservoirs.

The detailed implementation plan for the National Development Program is currently under public consultation and will form the basis for the decision by the competent Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance regarding the program’s final allocation of resources.

Stricter Monitoring

Unlike previous programming periods, the new National Development Program goes beyond simply allocating funds. It introduces a unified monitoring system for all projects, featuring a common evaluation framework and 141 specialized performance indicators, allowing comparable measurement of the progress of every programme.

Each ministry and regional authority will tailor its own program by selecting the indicators corresponding to the projects it will implement.

Through this approach, the government aims to link public investment not only to the absorption of available funding but also to concrete outcomes, placing greater emphasis on the effectiveness of projects and the ability to continuously evaluate their performance.