Hey everyone, I’m Athanasios Magalios, and I’m currently volunteering with ProcuraMED as part of the Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) program, in Patras – Greece, a sunny, beautiful city right by the sea! This experience has been a wonderful opportunity to work on a project that promotes eco-friendly and innovative public procurement across the Mediterranean.
ProcuraMED’s main mission is to support local governments and public institutions in adopting “green” procurement policies. This means encouraging the selection of products and services that are environmentally sustainable and innovative, helping shift economies towards greener practices. ProcuraMED brings together a diverse partnership across nine regions. These partners include municipalities, energy agencies, and development organizations such as the Municipality of Narni and Terre di Siena Lab (Italy), MedCities (Spain), IrRADIARE (Portugal), the Department for Development and International Projects of Zenica-Doboj Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina), University of Patras (Greece), BSC Poslovno Podporni Center Kranj (Slovenia), STRATAGEM ENERGY LTD (Cyprus), and the Regional Energy Agency North (Croatia). Each one of them brings specialized knowledge to help local authorities incorporate green procurement in fields from civil engineering to regional development.
As part of my role, I’m diving into the regulatory landscape of Green Public Procurement (GPP) and Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI) in Greece and the rest of the EU countries. I review current legislative frameworks, gather best practices, and help adapt guidelines to fit regional needs. I’m also involved in creating materials for a media campaign and supporting events, like an informative info-day and targeted thematic sessions for public and business stakeholders. These sessions help build a common understanding and provide practical tools for integrating green criteria. By collecting and sharing data from these sessions, insights are provided into local practices and help shape our outreach strategy. With the creation of communication materials, I help spread the word about our project and encourage communities to join the movement.
The thing I love the most in ProcuraMED is the collaborative spirit. Witnessing partners from diverse backgrounds work together to support environmental sustainability is incredibly inspiring. Each workshop and training session is a step closer to a greener, more innovative Mediterranean region!
