Ministry looks the other way
The Environment and Public Works Ministry responded to the European Commission’s statement against Greece’s pollution record with the comment that virtually everything was fine. «The issue has already been settled and the case has been filed. The Commission’s announcement is, in the least, hasty,» it said in an announcement. According to the ministry, Greece has drafted and instituted a General National Program for dealing with dangerous substances provided for in the directive, adopting specific limits. Specialized programs for specific areas (such as the Pagasitikos Gulf and Vegoritida Lake) have also been drawn up and passed into law. The National Program, as well as special programs, have been drawn to the specifications of the EU’s services, whose observations were incorporated into a joint ministerial decree submitted to the Commission before the court convened on Dec. 12 and was sent on Dec. 20 through official channels to the relevant Commission department.
