29,630 citizens and dozens of environmental organisations are calling for the withdrawal of Article 219 of the bill of the Ministry of Development, which paves the way for reduced protection of Natura 2000 areas, aiming to facilitate investment projects.

In just 5 days, 29,630 citizens united their voice against the unacceptable provision of the bill that is being discussed by the plenary of the Hellenic Parliament.

Also, after a letter of 23 organizations to the Nature 2000 Commission, which is the central scientific advisory body of the state for biodiversity, the Commission isseued a notice for the withdrawal of article 219 of the bill of the Ministry of Development and Investment for public procurement.

In an open letter, 29 organisations make a final appeal to the Prime Minister of Greece to intervene in the withdrawal of Article 219.

If the government insists on keeping the Article in the bill, the organisations ask MPs to vote against it.

As already pointed out in the communiqués of the environmental NGOs concerning Article 219:

  • It is contrary to article 6 par. 1 of Directive 92/43 / EEC which requires conservation measures to meet the ecological requirements of protected habitats and species. The designation of “protected sub-areas” and their “protective” status based on the implementation of development projects, and not on ecological criteria, is clearly contrary to the Directive. With the procedure introduced by Article 219 of the bill, investment plans and interests will in essence dictate the status of the “protected sub-area”.
  • It is an irrational way of designing a protected area, which ought to be done with the sole criterion of preserving valuable, rare or endangered elements of nature.
  • Creates ad hoc regimes in “protected sub-areas” leading to the fragmentation of Natura 2000 sites and their piecemeal protection, contrary to the requirements of Directive 92/43 / EEC, as interpreted by the European Court, for integrated and systematic biodiversity conservation measures.
  • Ignores ostentatiously the fact that Greece has been violating Article 6 of Directive 92/43 / EEC on habitats for years, and has been convicted by the EU Court.
  • Undermines the ongoing project for the development of Special Environmental Studies, Management Plans and Presidential Decrees for the Natura 2000 sites of the country. This project is under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and is implemented with European co-financing.
  • Increases the administrative burden of the competent authorities with a parallel process of approval of studies.
  • Introduces an extremely dangerous circumvention of the urban planning legislation, as it has been formulated with the recent law 4759/2020 passed by the government in December 2020. According to this law, the special protection regimes, such as those of protected areas, obviously have priority and are incorporated into urban plans, not the other way around. The prediction that the special urban plans will define the protection measures of the Natura 2000 sites is a blatant circumvention of the protective status of the country’s biodiversity areas.
Article 219 runs counter to Greece ‘s commitment to the objectives of the European Green Deal, which places biodiversity conservation at the heart of the European Union’ s development strategy.
The organizations call on the government, with a responsibility that now falls on the Prime Minister, to stop treating the country’s natural wealth as a construction site and to meet our national obligations under EU law to protect valuable biodiversity.

The environmental organizations:
1. Alkyoni,
2. ANIMA,
3. Arion,
4. Arcturos,
5. ARCHELON,
6. Wildlife Action,
7. Elliniki Etairia,
8. Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature,
9. Hellenic Ornithological Society,
10. Association for the Protection of the Environment of the Corinthian-Patras Gulf “Nireas”,
11. Society for the Protection of Prespa,
12. Callisto,
13. Citizens’ Movement for the Protection of the River Aoos “Protect Aoos”,
14. Sea Cytological Research Institute,
15. Ecological Recycling Company,
16. Earth Organization,
17. Federation of Ecological Organizations of the Corinthian Gulf “I Alkyon”,
18. PANDOIKO,
19. Magnesia Environmental Initiative,
20. Pindos Environmental,
21. Association “Tulipa Goulimi”,
22. Friends of Nature,
23. ECOCITY,
24. Greenpeace,
25. The Green Tank,
26. iSea,
27. MedINA,
28. MEDASSET,
29. MOm
30. WWF Greece.

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