Apokoronas secures €500,000 in EU funding for social services and a new rubbish truck

Summary

The municipality of Apokoronas has secured €500,000 through two funding calls under the EU-backed "Crete 2021–2027" programme. Of that total, €300,000 will go toward improving social facilities, preschool infrastructure and municipal buildings, while €200,000 will fund the purchase of a new rubbish truck to strengthen the council's waste management capacity. Mayor Charalampos Koukianakis said the money offers a real chance to deliver what the community needs, with people at the centre of every decision.

Apokoronas lands half a million euros in EU grants

Apokoronas has won two significant funding awards from the "Crete 2021–2027" programme, together worth €500,000. The money is earmarked for two very different but equally practical purposes: strengthening social services across the municipality and buying a new rubbish truck to keep local roads and neighbourhoods clean.

€300,000 for social infrastructure

The larger of the two grants — €300,000 — is allocated to social infrastructure. This means the municipality can now invest in renovating municipal buildings, expanding social service facilities, improving preschool and childcare premises, and purchasing the equipment and commissioning the studies needed to make those projects happen. The council is currently assessing which specific interventions will deliver the greatest benefit to residents before committing to individual projects.

€200,000 for a new waste collection vehicle

The second grant, worth €200,000, comes under the call for "Solid and Liquid Waste Management Projects." It will be used to purchase a brand-new rubbish truck, directly boosting the council's ability to keep Apokoronas clean. With tourism placing heavy seasonal pressure on waste collection services, an additional modern vehicle is a practical, visible improvement that residents and visitors alike will notice.

Mayor: "Apokoronas moves forward with people at the centre"

Mayor Charalampos Koukianakis welcomed the funding warmly. "These €500,000 are a real opportunity to deliver what Apokoronas needs," he said. "I want to sincerely thank the Regional Governor of Crete, Stavros Arnaoutakis, for his consistent and practical support of our municipality, and for the cooperation that allows us to draw on European funds for the benefit of our community. Apokoronas moves forward — with a plan, with determination, and above all with people at the centre."

The funds have not yet been formally allocated to specific projects. The municipal authority is in the process of evaluating needs and available options, after which concrete works and procurement procedures are expected to begin.

Official source

PRESS RELEASE – €500,000 for Apokoronas for social facilities and the procurement of a rubbish truck – Two significant grants strengthening social policy and the daily lives of citizens

August 12, 2026, 1:12 PM

The Municipality of Apokoronas is securing half a million euros through two important calls under the "Crete 2021–2027" Programme, creating new opportunities to strengthen social infrastructure and to upgrade cleanliness and waste management.

Specifically:

€300,000 for social infrastructure, with the possibility of funding interventions in municipal buildings, social facilities, preschool education and care infrastructure, as well as necessary equipment and studies.

€200,000 under the Call "Solid and Liquid Waste Management Projects", for the procurement of a new rubbish truck, substantially strengthening the municipality's equipment and operational capacity in the field of cleanliness.

The Municipal Authority is already evaluating needs and available options, with the aim of converting the grants into substantive interventions delivering the greatest possible benefit to the local community.

In his statement, the Mayor of Apokoronas, Charalampos Koukianakis, stated: "The €500,000 is an important opportunity to put into practice what Apokoronas needs. I want to warmly thank the Regional Governor of Crete, Mr. Stavros Arnaoutakis, for his enduring and practical support of the Municipality of Apokoronas and for the cooperation and the opportunity he gives us to make use of available European resources for the benefit of the local community. Apokoronas moves forward, with a plan, with determination and above all with people at the centre."