EC revokes funding for Koroneia
A decision by the European Commission made public on Monday revokes 20 million euros in funding for the protection of Lake Koroneia, a protected wetland near Thessaloniki.
The decision, issued in response to a question submitted by the Euro MP Nikos Hountis who is affiliated with the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), noted that Greece has not taken adequate measures to tackle pollution ravaging the wetland and that the country has not fulfilled the minimum conditions for securing EU subsidies.
Koroneia is part of Natura 2000, Europe?s network of protected natural areas, but it has suffered from pollution problems over the last decade.
In January, EC environmental inspectors had warned Greece that it could face the European Court of Justice, or lose out on crucial subsidies, for being too slow in putting a rescue plan for the lake into action. Officials said that wastewater was still being dumped into the lake and that lake water was being siphoned off illegally by farmers for irrigation.
