EU action looms over jobs, zoos

The European Commission said yesterday it was taking Greece to court for failing to acknowledge the qualifications of various professionals – including hairdressers and tile-layers – and threatened similar action over the country’s legislation on zoos and in the case of an island fuel storage unit. The Commission found that Greece ought to have incorporated into its legislation EU directives on the professional qualifications desired in electricians, street peddlers, hairdressers and tile-layers. It also found fault with Greek laws stipulating that only qualified opticians can run shops selling spectacles. Furthermore, the Commission issued a reasoned opinion – the last warning before resorting to court action – against Greece, Germany, Italy, Britain, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Austria, Finland and Ireland, for not adopting an EU directive on licensing and inspecting zoos. And Greece was also issued with a reasoned opinion for permitting a petrochemical products storage unit to function in a beauty spot on the island of Lesvos without having drawn up a study of its effect on the environment.