“Doing Business in the European Union 2020: Greece, Ireland and Italy” assesses the regulatory environment for businesses and its impact on local entrepreneurs in 6 cities in Greece (Alexandroupoli, Athens, Heraklion, Larissa, Patra and Thessaloniki), 5 cities in Ireland (Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford) and 13 cities in Italy (Ancona, Bari, Bologna, Cagliari, Florence, Genoa, Milan, Naples, Padua, Palermo, Reggio Calabria, Rome and Turin).
Rokas partners Alkistis Christofilou, Mira Todorovic Symeonides, Dr Charalampos Synodinos, senior associate Viktoria Chatzara and associates Andriani Kantillieraki, Paraskevi Res have contributed information on Athens, while the director of the Rokas Thessaloniki Branch, Dr Dimitris Chatzimichael and associates Andreas Papastathis, Evridiki Evangelopoulou have contributed the respective information on Thessaloniki.
The study measures regulations relevant to five stages in the life of a small to medium-size domestic firm: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property and enforcing contracts. In each of these areas, the study highlights good practices that can be leveraged and implemented in other cities within the country to empower local entrepreneurs and firms.
The report was successfully launched in Athens on Nov. 13, 2019; Dublin on Nov. 26, 2019 and in Rome Dec. 4, 2019. The event in Athens, organized on the premises of the Ministry of Development and Investment, drew an audience of around 50 participants, including national and local officials, heads of public agencies and private sector organizations.
Selected coverage in the Greek media follows below:
- https://www.naftemporiki.gr/finance/story/1537865/pagkosmia-trapeza-sti-n-poies-metarruthmiseis-tha-ektokseusoun-tin-ellada-sto-doing-business
- https://www.kathimerini.gr/1051902/opinion/epikairothta/politikh/veltistes-praktikes-made-in-greece
- https://www.tovima.gr/2019/11/30/finance/poia-poli-tis-elladas-einai-pio-filiki-stis-ependyseis/
We cordially thank our colleagues in the Greek cities who have participated in the compilation of the local information, and the World Bank and its dedicated team for their trust and guidance during this effort.
For easy reference, the Greek booklet (including the Acknowledgment section of the report, where the World Bank Group recognizes its collaboration with Rokas Law Firm) and of the participating lawyers and other advisors in Greece can be found here, while all materials (report, data, contributors list, press release, launch-event presentation) are available on the World Bank Doing Business site: www.doingbusiness.org/EU3.
The direct link to the contributors list (where Rokas’ contribution—and that of other colleagues across Greece—is acknowledged) is: https://www.doingbusiness.org/en/contributors/subnational/reports/greece.
