Greece

    Electronic Commerce
 
 

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    Electronic commerce is an area wehere Greece lags considerably behind the rest of Europe. There are no credible statistics about the volume of e-commerce in Greece. Considerable effort is underway to diffuse electronic commerce in the country, starting from the business-to-business (B2B) level.

    Electronic commerce is not very developed in Greece. This has to do with a number of factors:     It was only in 2000 that research started being conducted as of what the Greek entrepreneurs would want to get out of e-commerce. Yet, in 2000 and 2001 a considerable number of e-commerce sites started appearing, mostly offering consumer products, such as books or apparel. In most of the cases, though, these sites were just e-commerce sites of existing stores, rather than dedicated on-line traders.

HKESEE Logo

    The Hellenic Republic Ministry of Development has set up in the District of Sterea Ellada an organization, called the Electonic Commerce Center of Sterea Ellada (H.K.E.S.E.E.). Its purpose is "the creation of the necessary infrastructures for the development of Electronic Commerce in the District, and to assist small and medium enterprises of the wider area to take advantage of the opportunities offered by Digital Economy". For this purpose, HKESEE has received a grant of some €170,000.
    In general, e-commerce seems unable to take off in Greece without substantial state support. A major breakthrough will come with the 2004 Olympic Games, where e-commerce is projected to be a prominent feature, mainly in terms of ticket sale and hotel room booking. Introduction of the euro as Greece's currency will definitely facillitate e-commerce. It has to be noted that the Greek legislation already covers e-commerce (Greek legislation follows European Union directives).
    It is Internet banking that looks as having a brighter future. The local banks have established e-bakning subsidiaries, like NovaBank, the e-banking branch of the Bank of Piraeus. As is the case with telecommunications networks, Greek e-banking institutions try to expand regionally, in order to overcome the serious impediment presented by the limited size of the Greek market. In October 2001, NovaBank expanded -  through acquisition - its operations to Turkey.
    The most important portals in Greece do not operate as e-commerce sites - yet. Rather, they are sites with news and listiongs and links to other websites of Greek interest. The most prominent ones are in.gr, forthnet.gr and flash.gr.
    The Ministry of Development has set up an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) network, consisting of 267 companies divided in 27 groups. These operate as a pilot group to test the efficiency of automated transactions in B2B level in Greece. Results are analyzed and later presented by the ministry to more companies, in order to achieve diffusion of e-commerce in the B2B level. Implemenation of e-commerce in the "real" world is monitored by the National Committee of Electronic Commerce (E.E.H.E.).