ABSTRACT
The Greek national government has introduced a number of reforms in the past thirty years, with the aim of altering the constitution and improving the management of its public sector agencies. However, despite these changes and the importance of EU funding, problems persist. Added to this, regional and local authorities in Greece face a number of important challenges-some are common to all-and others are specifi c to a particular locality. All are facing the effects brought about by globalisation, the shift in economic and fi nancial processes to a global rather than national level, and the emergence of a new model of economic development with the local/regional as the locus of development. All European government strategies are now directed towards reconciling economic prosperity, social cohesion and environmental progress. Greece, as one of the poorer relations in the EU when measured on GDP per head, has been able to bid for and receive signifi cant Euro Funding over the past twenty years, although under the current structural funding regime, its share of EU monies is reduced.
