Greece condemned, again, over eco-policy failings

Greece was condemned by the European Court of Justice on Thursday for failing to set conservation targets for protected habitats, a process that should have been completed by 2012.

The latest rebuke is indicative of the country’s reluctance to take substantial environmental protection measures over the past decade.

The court said 81.5% of Greece’s protected habitats were not covered by any measure, in accordance with the general framework established in 2011, which stipulates the implementation of specific measures.

Greece set conservation targets for the remaining 18.5%, but even in these cases, the court said, the targets were not always clear. It cited the targets set for the national parks of Schinias-Marathon and Koroneia-Volvi, which it said do not relate to specific designated conservation zones and do not take into account their characteristics.

The objectives for the protection of both were too general and vague, the court argued.