Greece is in for a serious dry spell over next decade
Experts are warning that it might soon be too late to do anything to prevent a serious water shortage in Greece; yet the State, and in particular the Environment and Public Works Ministry, appears to have given up trying to beat the clock. It also seems to have given up with regard to bringing Greek legislation in line with European Union directives. The main points in the draft bill as it stands have little relation to these directives or to the experience gained in other European states. Scientists believe that over the next decade many parts of Greece, including Thessaly, the islands and the eastern Peloponnese, will suffer serious water shortages, while other areas such as Attica and Thessaloniki will have problems of water management. The problem is chiefly one of poor management, a problem that is not unique to Greece. An EU directive has been drawn up for a comprehensive system of water governance, conservation and development, with a specific timetable. Based on the timetable and a decision by the Cabinet last July 23, a law incorporating the EU directive into national legislation should have been passed in the first quarter of this year. Not only has the deadline expired, but the bill itself attempts to compress what is a major issue within the bounds of a ministry department, by order of the ministry’s political leadership. Although the Greek Center for the Environment and Sustainable Development (EKPAA) drew up a draft law proposing an independent legal entity on water governance with the participation of all relevant authorities, the ministry intervened by having this entity replaced by a department of its own. So now the bill provides for the establishment of a National Water Council (an interministerial agency with one member from the university and one from a non-governmental organization, to set water policy) and a Water Resources Service within the ministry. A particularly interesting aspect of the bill is the new pricing policy, which will come into effect in 2008 and will affect all users, including farmers. The bill provides for a more rational use of water, particularly in agriculture; incentives such as tax deductions; subsidies for improved methods of use; and lower bills for recycled water. It also provides for deterrents such as additional taxes and higher bills or fines for over-consumption or a failure to repair networks with major water losses.
