The study on strategic planning for funding opportunities through the then new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), was undertaken by Excelixi, the Centre of Sustainable Entrepreneurship, which is a member of the Piraeus Bank Group, and completed in 2015. The study focussed on eleven topics that provide a complete overview of the financial measures to be found in the new CAP. Each chapter described ways of implementing the measures together with the potential benefits, their importance and how they were connected to Prespa. The topics covered in the study and analyses were:
1. Investigation of financial mechanisms and educational activities aiming to improve the living standards of the inhabitants of the region.
2. Water management, irrigation, and proposed modern irrigation systems as well as modernisation of irrigation infrastructure.
3. Effective management of agricultural animal wastes.
4. Cultivation of new crops, feasibility study for the existing crops and agricultural activities, as well as suggestions for dynamic cultivation and maintenance of agricultural biodiversity.
5. Organic production.
6. Training and education, funding proposals of social and environmental interest.
7. Networking-funded schemes.
8. Planning actions for alternative development e.g. agro-ecotourism.
9. Creating a brand name for the products produced in the protected area, connecting identity and recognition of products with financing possibilities, adding value in combination with the brand name.
10. Mechanisms to promote networks for ecotourism services and local products.
11. Mechanisms to promote quality systems.
Overall, the study helped prepare the ground for the development of agro-environmental initiatives which supported the overall objective of the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) of supporting the primary sector to adopt environmentally friendly agricultural methods, both benefiting biodiversity and contributing to reductions in nutrient input to Lesser Prespa Lake. The study was shared with the relevant stakeholders at local and regional level and was widely communicated in order to disseminate its contents and the potential opportunities for the area. One of the first resulting activities was co-operation between the SPP, the Pelekanos Bean Farming Co-operative and the municipality to elaborate and submit an agro-environmental measure for Prespa to the Ministry of Agriculture for funding
2015