Europa Nostra criticizes Greece’s government plans to boost tourist home development

Europa Nostra was informed by its representation in Greece, Elliniki Etairia – the Greek Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage, that the Greek government is currently preparing plans to boost extended tourist home development by changing zoning regulations, especially on the islands. The proposed new legislation will open large areas of the coastline to speculative building that will not require the level of capital investment involved in the construction of high-class tourism facilities.

Immediately after the 50th Anniversary Congress which was held mid-June in Athens, Denis de Kergorlay, Executive President of Europa Nostra, wrote a letter to John Maniatis, Greece’s new Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change conveying to him Europa Nostra’s serious concerns with regard to this new Tourism Planning Scheme. “If implemented, this plan would downgrade Greece’s comparative advantages, namely its natural environment and cultural heritage”, Denis de Kergorlay stressed in his letter, which was handed out to the Minister by Costa Carras, Vice-President of Europa Nostra, and Yannis Michail, President of Elliniki Etairia, during their meeting with John Maniatis on 3 July in Athens.

Plácido Domingo, President of Europa Nostra, in an interview to the leading Greek daily newspaper TA NEA published on 21-23 June, also appealed to the Greek Government and the Greek people “not to support this type of unwise policy pursued in the past in Spain and many other Mediterranean countries. Such policies are short-sighted and will not provide the long-term solutions based on quality and sustainability that Greece needs. Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner responsible for Culture, agrees with Europa Nostra’s viewpoint, based on her own experience in Cyprus”.

Remarks and comments on the proposed Tourism Planning Scheme can be posted on the website of the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate Change until 22 July.