The goal of “ν+2” has been fulfilled for 2006 by the Operational Programme “Information Society” – since the absorption of public expenditure exceeds by 55% its budget – and for the third consecutive year the O.P. fulfilled the objectives relating to projects’ implementation and absorption of expenditure.

The actions within the framework of 2006-2013 Digital Planning keep going at a quick pace and their aim is to keep up with the developments of other developed European countries with regard to the utilization of Information & Communications Technologies.

“From early 2007, Greek enterprises will be capable of making their transactions with the 59 chambers of the country more quickly and easily, through ΚΕP and through digital services that have been implemented within the framework of 2006-2013 Digital Strategy”, Professor Vassilis Assimakopoulos, Digital Planning Secretary Special, announced.

The transfer of the eGep (eGovernment Economics Project) into the Greek reality has been recently presented by the Observatory for the Information Society in Helsinki, Finland.

The Market of Athens, the centre of the spiritual, political, and cultural life of the city during ancient times (Classical, Hellenistic and Roman Period) is the subject of the new production of the Virtual Reality Department of the Foundation of the Hellenic World (FHW) which will inaugurate “Tholos”, the new hyper-modern Virtual Reality theater which is going to host the FHW’s digital collections starting from November.

The Minister of Developement signed decisions on the completion of 68 investment projects of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) within the framework of Cycle A and B of the "E-Business" Programme.

With the aim of promoting the rich cultural and tourism reserve of five regional Municipalities of Crete (coordinator: Municipality of Nea Alikarnassos, other participating municipalities: municipality of Zarou, of Paliani, of Temenos, and of Sfakia), the project titled “Innovative Services for the Promotion of the Cultural – Tourism Reserve” is implemented in regional municipalities of Crete whose total budget amounts to € 194,400.

With funding from the O.P. Information Society, more than 140 projects for the documentation, utilization and promotion of our cultural reserve are completed. It is estimated that the majority of these project will fully operate in the first half of 2007 proving the Greek citizens (and not only Greek since access to collections will be effected through the Internet) with the opportunity of getting to know and appreciate the rich cultural reserve of the country.

The training of more than 17,600 elected representatives of the Local Self Government in the new Information & Communication Technologies will promote in the best manner the perspectives that information technology and the Internet offer to the Region.

Last week, the works of the 2-day conference that was organized by the Special Managing Service of OPIS under the title “Inspection Methodologies and Project Monitoring Practices” were successfully completed at Divani Palace Acropolis hotel.