ENGLISH EDITION

European Commission officials in Brussels have expressed satisfaction over the two main axes of the government's energy policy, sources said on Friday. Namely, Brussels has welcomed the announcement of an end of electricity production using lignite and the privatisation of the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO).

The technical evaluation of bids submitted for the project connecting Crete to the mainland grid through direct-current cables was completed, the Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) said on Thursday,while the president of Ariadne Interconnection and CEO of parent company, ADMIE, Manos Manoussakis, said the project "is moving ahead without obstacles" and said ADMIE is committed to starting construction on the 1-billion-euro project by early 2020.

Real estate technology company Blueground has raised an additional $50 million in capital from investors as it pushes ahead with ambitious global expansion plans. The moves comes as investor interest in real estate tech players picks amidst changes in the way properties area bought, sold and leased.

More than five investors are looking at buying a 30 percent stake in the Athens International Airport being sold by the Greek government and will need to submit their interest in the stake to Greece's privatizations agency HRADF on Tuesday.

The recent bank charges that have been imposed on most transactions are expected to be discussed, among other things, in a meeting on today between the heads of the country’s biggest banks and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

A 100 million euro investment program is being implemented in Greece across nearly all segments of the market, by the US real estate company Hines which has been increasing its exposure in the country in the last few years.

Greek parties reached an initial agreement to support the government's draft bill on the right of Greeks living abroad to vote in elections, following three meetings of the interparty committee, it was announced on Tuesday evening. The agreement means that the draft bill to be tabled by the Interior ministry in Parliament could secure at least 200 votes for passing.

Further gains to Greece's real estate sector will be limited if there are no structural changes to the institutional framework the sector operates within, according to industry experts speaking at the Prodexpo conference.

The new buisiness plan includes drafting policies at ministerial level, providing incentives for introducing electromobility to the national infrastructure, and aligning state policy with the EU's Clean Energy Package and Clean Mobility Package programs.

There are an estimated 1,400 such buildings in central Athens, many of which are listed, that have long been abandoned due to high maintenance costs and massive amounts of red tape needed to complete the procedure. Experts estimate that getting a permit to improve a listed building in Greece takes six years and involves tens of public services.