European court accepts Commission’s appeal against Greece over Caretta caretta
Greece was found guilty on Thursday by the European Court of Justice of failing to comply with European Union rules concerning the protection of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) in the Bay of Kyparissia, in the western Peloponnese.
The court accepted an appeal submitted by the European Commission against Greece in 2011, which accused the Greek state of failing to fulfill its obligations concerning the conservation of natural habitats and wild fauna and flora in the Bay of Kyparissia, the turtle’s second biggest Mediterranean reproduction habitat.
The coastal area is protected under Natura 2000, an EU environmental network set up to ensure the survival of endangered species and their habitats. However, according to the court’s ruling, Greek authorities allowed homes to be built and roads to be constructed in the area in and around Aghiannaki and Vounaki in Kyparissia Bay, among a long list of other violations.
