Greece faces EU penalties over wastewater treatment
Greece faces a penalty of 11.5 million euros and daily fines of 47,763 euros for failing to treat and dispose of urban wastewater in an adequate manner.
The European Commission referred Greece back to the European Court of Justice over this matter yesterday after deciding that six of 23 wastewater centers across the country lack the necessary collection and treatment systems, six years after Greece was first warned about the issue.
“The lack of treatment in these agglomerations means that the health of residents is being put at risk, as untreated wastewater can be contaminated with harmful bacteria and viruses,” said the Commission.
Brussels also referred Greece to the EU Court of Justice for not complying with bloc rules on limits to working time for doctors in public health services.
The Commission said Greece is failing to ensure that these doctors work no more than 48 hours per week on average, including any overtime.
“In practice, doctors working in public hospitals and health centers in Greece often have to work a minimum average of 64 hours per week and over 90 hours in some cases, with no legal maximum limit,” the Commission said.
