5. However, the CPT must recall once again that the principle of co-operation between Parties to the Convention and the Committee is not limited to steps taken to facilitate the task of a visiting delegation. It also requires that decisive action be taken to improve the situation in light of the CPT’s recommendations. In this respect, the CPT remains concerned about the dire state of the Greek prison system and the apparent lack of action taken to address the Committee’s recommendations contained in previous visit reports to improve the situation. In March 2022, the Committee decided to set in motion the procedure provided for in Article 10, paragraph 2, of the Convention2 as it had observed that no tangible progress had been made to address the Committee’s very serious concerns in respect of the requirements of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights over the course of the previous 10 years and that there was little evidence to indicate that the situation would improve in the near future. 6. In its report on the 2021 ad hoc visit, the CPT reiterated that the chronic crisis within Greek prisons is not merely a problem to be resolved by the Ministry of Citizen Protection (which is currently responsible for prisons) but one that must be addressed by the Government as a whole, together with the Hellenic Parliament and the judiciary. Reforming the prison system is a long-term project which must go hand-in-hand with urgently improving the daily life of prisoners. The CPT set out in its report on the 2021 visit the strategic questions and issues that need to be addressed and acted upon to reform the prison system.3 Further, on 7 and 8 September 2022, the CPT held high level talks in Athens with senior Government Ministers to learn about the measures being taken by the Government to tackle the systemic problems of overcrowding and understaffing in prisons and to implement the CPT’s recommendations, as set out most recently in the report on its 2021 visit. During those talks, the Greek authorities once again set out their proposals to reform the prison system and reiterated their commitment to improve the current situation of persons deprived of their liberty in Greece’s prisons. That said, the CPT again found that recommendations from previous visits aimed at preventing inhuman and degrading treatment had not been implemented (see, for example, paragraphs 30, 48 and 53). Given the gravity of these findings, the urgency for a proper strategic plan for the prison system to be adopted is heightened to set out the roadmap for the recovery of the prison system. The CPT will continue to monitor closely the situation in the Greek prisons in the context of the ongoing Article 10.2 procedure (see paragraphs 8 to 13 below). C. Immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention 7. During the end-of-visit talks with the Greek authorities, on 11 November 2022, the delegation made two immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention. The Greek authorities were requested to ensure that: - at Korydallos Men’s Prison, the nine cells of Special area of C Wing be closed down until such time as they have been renovated. at Korydallos Special Health Centre for Prisoners, patient HA be provided with new prostheses for his arms and that, in the meantime, he be offered the necessary around the clock care to provide for his needs. These observations were confirmed by letter of 16 November 2022 when transmitting the delegation’s preliminary observations to the Greek authorities. On 15 December 2022, the Greek authorities informed the CPT of the actions taken in response to these immediate observations and on other matters raised by the delegation at the end-of-visit talks. This response has been taken into account in the relevant sections of the present report. Article 10, paragraph 2, reads as follows: “If the Party fails to co-operate or refuses to improve the situation in the light of the Committee's recommendations, the Committee may decide, after the Party has had an opportunity to make known its views, by a majority of two-thirds of its members to make a public statement on the matter.” 3. See CPT/Inf (2022) 16, paragraphs 10 and 17. 2. 4