Georgios Georgantas is the Ministrer of Rural Development and Food and a Member of Hellenic Parliament for Kilkis.

Deputy Minister Georgantas studied Law at the Democritus University of Thrace and worked as a trial attorney for twenty years before entering politics.

He has been serving as Member of the Hellenic Parliament since 2012, elected with Nea Demokratia party in four consecutive general elections.

Deputy Minister Georgantas has been an active parliamentarian, having played a key role as member of the Committee of Inquiry into the health scandals during the years 1997-2014 and of the Preliminary Examination Committee on the Novartis case.

He also served as Deputy Minister of Education and Religious Affairs in 2014 and as Shadow Minister for Administrative Reconstruction between 2016 and 2019. He is married and father of two.

Dr Georgios Salachas is Professor of Plant Physiology and Nutrition at the Department of Agriculture, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Patras. He graduated from the Agricultural University of Athens and he received his Ph.D. degree in Plant Physiology, at the Department of Biology, University of Patras. PhD and post-doctoral researcher at the Biology Department, University of Patras. He has been member of the National Research and Innovation Council, member of the PSEK of the Region of Western Greece and Vice Chancellor of the former TEI of Western Greece.

His research interests are focused on Plant Secondary Metabolism, production, on plant immune propagating material, Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Life Cycle Assessment, long time preservation of extra virgin olive oil, Aeroponic Cultivation of Plants and Aquaponics.

He has been director of a master’s degree program, research leader or member of the research team in several Research Programs and a member of several advisory committees in doctoral theses. He has 36 published papers in peer-reviewed international scientific journals and numerous scientific papers in national and international conferences. He is the inventor of the “Automated Aeroponic Plant Growing System”, (PCT/GR2013/000069, WO/2014/102553) and has developed the first visitable Aeroponic Farm in Greece and Europe. He is a founding member of the “Cannabis Hub” innovation network at the Patras Science Park.

Place and date of birth: November 14, 1963 in Athens
Marital Status: Married with one child
Profession: Journalist
Foreign Languages: Russian, English, French

Parliamentary Activities
He was elected Member of Parliament for Evia with the ND in the elections of 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2019.
He served as Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesman from 2012 to 2014.
He is a member of the Special Standing Committee on Armaments Programs and Contracts, the Special Standing Committee on European Affairs, the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs, and the Standing Committee on National Defense and Foreign Affairs.
He is also the head of the Greek Delegation and Vice President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization.

Political / Social Activities
He has been a political, parliamentary and diplomatic editor in the newspapers “KATHIMERINI”, “APOGEFMATINI”, “APOFASI” and “HORA”. At the same time he presented and participated in series of television and radio stations (ERT, MEGA, FLASH etc.). For many years he was a contributor to CNN International’s World Report show, and aired on CNN’s “Q&A” show in Atlanta, USA.

Adonis Georgiadis was born on November 6th, 1972, in Athens.

He graduated from the Faculty of History & Archaeology of the School of Philosophy of the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens.

In 1993, he took over the management of publications ‘GEORGIADIS-LIBRARY OF GREEK’. In 1994, he founded the Liberal Studies Center “GREEK EDUCATION”.

Elected MP in Athens B region in the elections of 2007 and 2009 with the LAOS political party.

In February 2012, he joined the Nea Demokratia political party, having resigned from the parliamentary office. Elected with Nea Demokratia in Athens B in the national elections of 2012 and 2015.

In 2011, he was Vice Minister of Shipping in the Government of Lucas Papademos and in 2013 he was appointed Minister of Health in the Government of Antonis Samaras.

On January 18th, 2016, he was appointed one of the two Vice-Presidents of the Nea Demokratia by decision of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the President of Nea Demokratia.

On July 9th, Adonis Georgiadis was appointed as Minister of Development and Investments after the 2019 Greek elections.

He is married to Eugenia Manolidou and they have two children, Perseus and Alcaeus.

Stavros Arachovitis was born in 1972 at Xirocabi, Laconia. He is a graduate of the department of Agricultural Production, Infrastructure and Environment of the Agricultural University of Athens.

He is elected member of SY.RIZ.A political party since May of 2012 and he was re-elected in January and September 2015 as well as in July 2019.

He is head of the SY.RIZ.A Committee following the parliamentary work on Rural Development, participating also in various parliamentary committees, among them the Standing Committee on Production and Trade and the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy.

In the past he has conducted techno – economical studies on behalf of natural persons, legal persons and local authorities. Since 2014, he has been working as a technical counselor at exploitations applying organic farming, as well as at the inspection, validation and management of organic products.

He was responsible for the training of Young Farmers on organic farming under the scope of “Dimitra” program. He has also worked with the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Laconia, for the implementation of various European Programs. “Agricultural Bank of Greece” employed him as contractor for the estimation of the trade value of plots.

He is a regular member of “Geotechnical Chamber of Greece” and he has been elected twice, as president of the local rural network of Laconia.

Apostolos Panas is a Member and Secretary of the Hellenic Parliament and Head of PASOK’s Development & Investment sector.

As an MP, Mr. Panas holds a member position at the Committees of «Production and Trade» and «Research and Technology». In the recent past, Mr. Pana’s was a member of the «European Affairs» Committee. During the years 2019-2021, was Head of the Rural Development and Food sector of PASOK.

Prior to joining Hellenic Parliament Mr. Pana’s was elected as a member of the Regional Council of Central Macedonia from 2010 – 2014. Before the 2019 parliamentary elections were pointed as Head of the European Direct Information Center of the Halkidiki office from the European Union.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in the «Applied Informatics Department» of the University of Macedonia and has obtained two postgraduate degrees, in «Special Needs Education» from Sofia University and in «Local and Regional Government Development» from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Academic qualifications

• M.Sc. Degree in Biological Oceanography, Department of Biology, University of Athens
• B.Sc. Diploma in Biology, Department of Biology, University of Athens

Professional experience in fisheries sector

Many years of professional experience in marine fisheries, aquaculture, processing of fishery products, and aquatic environment management, since 1980 at the Ministry of Rural Development and Food. At the moment, since February 2012 Director General DG for Sustainable Fisheries, Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food. These duties include coordination of various issues about capture marine and inland fisheries, intensive and extensive aquaculture, control of fishery activities and products also entailed the Single Control Authority of Art 5 of EU Regulation 1224/2009, as well as heading the competent administrative unit responsible for the implementation of the National Data Frame Work Collection Project

Professional experience before joining fisheries sector of the Ministry

October 1979 to June 1980: Lyceum Teacher, Lyceum of Terpsithea (State’s institutes for secondary education)

Founding member of Andromeda SA, Mr. Apostolos Touralias has an aquaculture experience spanning more than thirty years. He has served as an Administrative Manager, Operations Manager, HR Manager, Sales & Production Manager and Commercial Manager. Currently he is the Production & Sales Planning Director for Avramar Group.

Additionally, through his constant presence in the sector’s institutional affairs, he is the elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization (HAPO), the Managing Director of the “Echinades and West Coast of Aetoloakarnania Development SA” and member of POAY Echinadon SA (Allocated zones for aquaculture development in Echinades)

Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou is an economist and an attorney-at-law.

She is currently a Member of the European Parliament affiliated to the European People’s Party, Vice-Chair of the Committee on International Trade and the Spokesperson of the Delegation of Nea Demokratia in the European Parliament.

She is also member, inter alia, of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

She is President of the inter-parliamentary group Transatlantic Friends of Israel. She was formerly a member of the Hellenic Parliament and spokesperson for the New Democracy Party.

She has also served as Deputy Mayor of the City of Ioannina in NW Greece. She worked for several years as an attorney in the USA, specializing in financial transactions and international banking law, as an external expert for the European Commission, and as a manager in consulting companies in Brussels and Luxembourg.

She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the think tank Friends of Europe and of the Hellenic American University

Christiana Kalogirou was born in Athens. She holds a degree in Economics from the Athens University of Economics and Business and a master’s degree (M.Sc) from the National and Kapodistrian University on Disaster and Crisis Management Strategies in the Administrative and Development Sectors.

She has worked for 20 years in the private sector. She has prepared studies and scientific works in the field of economic and regional development. At the same time, she actively participated in initiatives related to issues of sustainable development, blue economy and entrepreneurship, environmental protection and cultural heritage as well as issues related to the modern woman.

In 2004 she was elected MP of the prefecture of Lesvos with New Democracy. In 2012 she took over the position of Secretary General of the Decentralized Aegean Administration of the Ministry of Interior. In 2014 she was elected Regional Governor of the North Aegean. From August 2019 to April 2021 she served as Secretary General of the Aegean and Island Policy of the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy. In April 2021 she took over the position of Secretary General of Rural Development and Food.

Associate Professor of University of Patras.

Biologist (BSc Patras Univ.) specialized in Shellfish Biology & Culture (Univ. of Wales at Bangor, UK), Fisheries Product Quality Management & Marketing (Hull Univ., UK) and Risk Analysis in Aquaculture(PhD, Ghent Univ., Belgium).

He has 30+ years experience in Mediterranean and Black Sea Aquaculture, participating in 35 industrial and academic projects. As a scientific expert provided consulting to several national (FGM, Greek Ministry of Environment & Climate Change), and international institutions (FAO-GFCM) in Europe (EU, AquaTT) and USA (Monterey Bay Aquarium, Oceanic Institute of Hawaii, NOAA).

He published 40 scientific articles and 13 book chapters and supervise 3 PhDs and various MSc & undergraduate Thesis.

Apostolos Apostolakos was born in 1967 in Piraeus, holds a Diploma in Business Studies and an MBA from Nottingham Trent University and has 30 years of professional experience.

From 1988 to 1990 he worked in OPTIMA SA of the P. PANTELIADIS GROUP, while after that for 12 years, from 1991 to 2003, in ELGEKA SA. in Sales Manager positions, such as Retail Sales Manager and General Sales Manager.

From 2003 to 2006 he worked as General Manager of Sales and Exports in CRETA FARM SA while from 2007 to 2018 he was General Manager and Managing Director of HELLENIC SUPERMARKETS SKLAVENITIS SA.

From 2018 until taking office at OKAA, he worked in the private sector as a Business Consultant.

Since January 2020 he has been working at the Central Markets and Fisheries Organization (OKAA SA) as CEO

Efthimios Bakogiannis Dr Urban planner- Transport Engineer is an assistant professor at NTUA- SATM, Department of Geography and Regional Planning.

He is one of the founding members of the “Sustainable Mobility Unit-SMU” in the N.T.U.A.

He is teaching various undergraduate courses, including Urban Planning, Urban Geography, Housing Networks, Methods and Applications of Urban Design and Environmental Planning as well as postgraduate courses related to Housing Settlements & Networks.

He has participated in more than 40 European and National research projects, conducted by NTUA. The main research fields of his activity comprise integrated urban and transport planning towards the sustainable city, integration of alternative means in urban areas ( bicycle network planning, evaluation and infrastructure design, urban & transport design for pedestrians and public transport), environmental planning (with emphasis on the vulnerable road users) of large scale metropolitan areas (campuses, metropolitan Parks, old airport, coastal areas, central zones), mobility management and policies for the promotion of alternative means.

The research funding comes both from national bodies such as municipalities, ministries, urban planning and transportation agencies, and the European Commission (FP4, FP5, FP6, ERDF, INTERREG).

Today is the General Secretary of Spatial Planning and Urban Environment of the Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy.

Dr Petros Varelidis is Secretary General Natural Environment and Waters in the Ministry of Environment and Energy.

He has studied Chemical Engineering in the National Technical University of Athens, and has a PhD on composite materials and recycling.

He has also graduated from the department of business administration of the Athens University of Economics and Business.

Since 2009, he has served as a policy advisor of the political leadership in the ministry of Environment.

Since December of 2019, is representing Greece on the Bureau of the European Environment Agency.

From 2016 to 2021 he held the position of Director of the Organisation of Natural Environment and Climate Change (formerly named National Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development).

During 2005-2009 and 2013-2015 he served as an environment attache in the Permanent representation of Greece in the ΕU.

From 2012 to 2013, during the preparation of and the presidency of Cyprus of Council of the EU, he served as environment attache in the Permanent representation of Cyprus in EU.

She was born in Klenia, Corinthia.

She graduated from the Department of Biological Sciences of the School of Physics and Mathematics of the University of Patras in 1980.

She received an M.Sc. “Environmental Pollution Control” by Leeds University, England in 1982.

She served in the Corinthian Fisheries Supervision of the then Ministry of Agriculture, in the years 1984-1995, with responsibilities for fisheries and aquaculture.

In 1995 she was transferred to the Directorate of Fisheries Applications of the General Directorate of Fisheries of the then Ministry of Agriculture and now of Rural Development and Food, with responsibilities in matters of International Organizations, education, and training in the fishing sector, etc.

In 2011 she moved to the Aquaculture Directorate and on 1/1/2015 she was appointed Head of the Aquaculture Directorate where she remains until today.

George N. Katselis holds a degree in Biology and a PhD from the University of Patras (Fish Biology).

He is a professor at the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the University of Patras, specializing in “Study of Fish Populations and Fishing in the Coastal Zone”.

His research interests are in the biology and ecology of aquatic animals and the exploitation, protection and management of coastal areas.

He has published more than 40 articles in international journals and more than 80 in conferences. He has participated in 45 programs as a scientific manager or researcher.

Scientific recognition includes more than 700 citations in Google Scholar (h = 16) and has been invited to referee more than 50 articles in 21 international journals and 70 conferences.

Ioanna Argyrou, is a Biologist / Ichthyologist, a graduate of the Department of Biology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and holds a master’s degree in Environment and Development, from the National Technical University of Athens. She is active in the field of Fisheries, Aquaculture, Environment and RES as a Designer and Technical Consultant for development and applications.

Has many years of experience and special know-how in matters of preparation and implementation of studies, management and evaluation of investments. She has participated as a specialist scientist in many EU-funded research projects. or National Resources, undertaking their planning, coordination and utilization – implementation. She has many scientific publications and announcements in conferences in Greece and abroad.

She has been active in her cognitive and scientific field for the last 23 years through the company “NAYS”, of which she is the founder.
“NAYS” specializes in Studies and Consulting services on Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture, Environment and environmental licensing, Climate Change monitoring. It is also active in Marine Spatial Planning and Blue Growth in coastal, insular and offshore areas, in Regional Development, and the design of investment plans under the Circular Economy to enhance competitiveness. In addition, it provides design and consulting services for investments in Renewable Energy Sources in the context of Green Development, corresponding services for alternative Tourism, Quality Assurance Systems, Marketing, and specialized services for the standardization and processing of agricultural products.

“NAYS” has been a pioneer in the design and creation of Areas of Organized Development of Aquaculture Activities (POAY) in Greece through participatory processes and with emphasis on spatial options with the best and multiple synergies and local investment interactions with societies.

Ioanna Argyrou has been included as an independent expert in the European Database of Experts since 2009 and is a member of the Database of Independent Experts for European Research and Innovation (CORDIS) since 2013.

She was a co-founder and is a Member of the Board. of the “Hellenic Technological Aquaculture Technology Platform” (ETEPY), which was strategically and operationally designed by “NAYS”, participant and administrator of the patent entitled “FISH FARM” for the protection and growth of the population with the aim of strengthening fishermen.

Nikos Chatzinikolaou was born on October the 9th 1962, in Alexandroupolis, Evros. He started working as a journalist in 1983 covering education topics in the newspaper “MESIMVRINI”.

In 1984, he received the “Botsi” award for journalism. He then started to cover political issues. Meanwhile, he started his collaboration with the Sunday edition of the newspaper “Akropolis”, the newspaper “Ethnos” and the magazines “ENA” and “STATUS”.

In 1987, he started working for the newly founded radio “ATHINA 9,84”. At the same time he became member of the founding committee of the station. He also temporarily worked at the radio stations “ERA”, “SKY 100,4”, “PLANET” and “STATUS FM”.

In 1989, he started his collaboration with MEGA TV station. From 1998 until 2003 he was General Director of News and Information department of the station.

From 2003 until 2007, he collaborates with ALPHA TV Station, as Executive Vice President and General Director of News and Information department and later, as Chairman and CEO.

From April 2007 until October 2011 he collaborates with ALTER TV station.

In September 2007 he founded along with Andreas Kouris the «Real Group», which owns the radio station “Real Fm 97.8” in Athens, “Real Fm 107.1” in Salonica, “Ellinikos 93,2” in Athens, the weekly (every Sunday) newspaper “Real News” and the news portal “Real.gr”.

In 2012 Nikos Chatzinikolaou created his own personal site-blog “Enikos.gr” and the financial news blog “Enikonomia.gr”.

From September 2013 until June 2016, he collaborates with STAR Channel TV Station.

Since January 2017, he is the anchorman of the main news edition of ANT1 TV Station.

Nikos Chatzinikolaou is board member of European Newspaper Publishers Association (ENPA).

She studied Political Sciences at the Department of Law of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and media training at the BBC Academy. She is a journalist, political analyst, TV anchorwoman until 2011 and General Manager of the think tank Institute of Democracy, Konstantinos Karamanlis until 2014.

She is an experienced and distinguished media trainer for “tradional” and cyber crisis management in companies such as: PETROLA HELLAS, HELLENIC PETROLEUM (ELPE), LAFARGE BETON, HALYPS BUILDING MATERIALS, ITALCEMENTI GROUP, REGENCY CASINO THESSALONIKI, HSBC, CREDIT AGRICOLE LIFE, DELTA, KATSELIS, GOODY’S, EVEREST, CARREFOUR, GENESIS FARMA and others.

Giorgos Houdalakis studied journalism and has been working in broadcasting since 1991. He has presented live radio shows throughout this period in some of the leading radio stations in Athens, including Antenna 97.2 FM, City 99.5, Parapolitika FM and RealFM.

He has also worked extensively in television journalism, as a presenter and commentator (Mega Channel, 902, Blue Sky).

He has held numerous managerial and editorial positions: Editor, Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor at Antenna 97.2 FM; News and Current Affairs Editor at City 99.5 and RealFM; Head of Programming at Parapolitika FM; Editor at SKAI Television, Mega Channel and Star Channel.Blue 

Currently, he holds the post of Manager at RealFM, also presenting the station’s morning show.

With studies at the Department of Financial & Banking Administration at the University of Piraeus and many years of experience in the banking sector, Vasso Aggeletou specializes in international and domestic financial reporting, with an emphasis on banks and financial technology.

Since 2008 she has been working as a journalist on reputable information websites, combining her financial knowledge with her passion for journalism and information that respects the reader.