MEP Galato Alexandraki (ECR) has asked the European Commission to clarify how it will ensure that the new EU strategy for islands and coastal communities delivers concrete, long-term support for Greek islands, rather than piecemeal projects. In a parliamentary question dated 3 July 2026, Alexandraki pressed the Commission on three specific points: whether it will request a comprehensive national implementation plan from Greece; how it will channel EU funding toward permanent needs such as health, water, coastal shipping, energy and housing; and what measures will prevent island development from becoming a tourism monoculture that harms residents, fishers and producers.
The question follows the Commission's presentation on 10 June 2026 of the first dedicated EU strategies for islands and coastal communities, which acknowledged the particular pressures these regions face in transport, energy, housing, climate resilience and access to services. Alexandraki welcomed the initiative as a move in the right direction, especially for Greece, where insularity is a key element of national cohesion.
a national plan with clear projects, timelines and result indicators; a shift from piecemeal project funding to sustained support for essential services; and safeguards against tourism monoculture. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks, and its answer will signal the level of ambition and coordination it envisages for island policy.
The question highlights a tension between EU-level strategic guidance and national implementation, as well as between economic development (tourism) and the protection of local livelihoods and traditional sectors such as fishing and small-scale production. Stakeholders most affected include Greek island residents and small producers, who could benefit from sustained funding for basic services but may face pressure from tourism-driven development; Greek national authorities, which would bear the burden of producing a comprehensive plan; and EU institutions, which must balance strategic oversight with respect for member state competences.