EU fines for illegal landfills keep piling up

Greece has paid some 66.5 million euros to the European Commission in fines since 2015 and is facing more penalties for failing to shut down and rehabilitate its illegal landfills.

According to a recent report, there are still three illegal landfills operating in Greece – on the islands of Santorini, Hydra and Kalymnos – and 16 that have been closed but have not been rehabilitated, a process that entails a series of steps ensuring that the dump does not pose a public health and environmental hazard.

There also appear to be another 11 sites where dumps have been closed and rehabilitated, but are believed to be back in operation – illegally. The Environment Ministry says that according to its plan, the country will be in full compliance with European Union waste management regulations by 2024.