Greece’s faces fines over landfills
Greece could face stiff fines imposed by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) if it does not shut down dozens of landfills that continue to operate illegally in the country, warned Euro MP Thodoros Skylakakis.
Referring to a report by the European Commission saying that Greece has failed to comply with an order to close all illegal dumps by June 30, Skylakakis said that authorities admit that there are still 82 illegal sites in operation today, of the 361 that were listed for closure in 2009.
A representative of the European Commission, meanwhile, said that the biggest problem is the slow pace of absorption of European Union funding, adding that ?the EU has provided by funding for the closure of illegal landfills and the rehabilitation of the environment, but the rate of absorption is just 6-8 percent.?
Greece now has until June 2012 to use funding to shut down the 82 sites, otherwise, the EC representative said, the issue will be brought before the ECJ and the country could face stiff fines.
The European Commission has formed a task force for Greece, and one of its duties is to help authorities make better use of EU funding.
