Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, in a written answer on 29 June 2026, told the European Parliament that no EU cohesion funding has yet been allocated to the restoration of the refugee apartment blocks on Alexandra Avenue in Athens, and that Greek authorities have pledged to respect all applicable EU requirements if a project is proposed. The answer, responding to a question from MEP Maria Zacharia (NI), signals that the Commission will rely on shared management rules and existing Charter safeguards rather than intervening pre-emptively.
Fitto’s answer confirms that the legal framework for fundamental rights compliance in cohesion policy is set out in the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR), notably Article 9, which requires Member States to ensure respect for the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. He noted that programmes should not support actions contributing to segregation or exclusion of vulnerable groups, and that housing solutions should promote socially mixed communities. However, because cohesion funds are implemented under shared management, Member States are responsible for selecting projects and overseeing implementation. Greek authorities have informed the Commission that no call has yet been launched for the ‘Prosfygika’ project under the Attica regional programme, and therefore no project-specific information has been received. The Commission has not conducted a social impact assessment or reviewed participatory consultation processes, as no operation has been selected for funding. Greek authorities have indicated that all applicable EU requirements will be respected for any project proposed for support.
The answer provides no concrete timeline or commitment to request additional information from Greece, instead reiterating the existing legal obligations under the CPR. This leaves the ball in the Greek authorities’ court, with the Commission monitoring compliance through standard reporting mechanisms. The response may disappoint MEP Zacharia and residents who sought assurances on the right to return and avoidance of social displacement. For the Greek managing authority, the answer offers flexibility to design the project without immediate Commission scrutiny, but also imposes a clear obligation to comply with Charter principles when selecting operations. For the 400 residents of the settlement, the lack of a social impact assessment or guarantees of temporary relocation and right to return remains unresolved until a project is formally proposed. The Commission’s stance underscores the limits of its oversight under shared management, where it can only act after a project is selected and if non-compliance is reported.