Ioli Christopoulou spoke to the French environmental newspaper Reporterre and journalist Marie Geredaki on the new environmental law that was adopted in early May.
The article focuses particularly on the provisions of the law that related to environmental permits and protected areas.
Commenting on the fact that the text that was submitted to Parliament included many articles that had not been included in the consultation that preceded, Ioli Christopoulou noted that while this was not the first time this practice was followed, this does not mean that it is not wrong and that it must change.
As far as the content of the law, Ioli Christopoulou noted that many of the topics that are covered by the law set a new legal framework. She welcomed as a positive development, the new Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency, as central system of coordination was a long standing ask for the country’s protected areas. However, the implementation of the law and the operation of the new Agency requires many additional regulatory actions.
She specifically remarked on the need to further support the consultation and participatory processes, both with regard to environmental permitting and the management of protected areas.
The article titled «In Greece, the government sells off nature in the name of the economy» was published (in French) in the Reporterre on June 15, 2020.
En Grèce, le gouvernement brade la nature au nom de l’économie
