WWF's environment report points to serious shortcomings

In its 14th annual report on Greece, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) paints a grim picture regarding the environment in this country.

In its assessment, the report cited the devastating wildfire in east Attica last summer, Greece's noncompliance with European Court rulings, fines imposed by Europe to the tune of 100 million euros, and the unclear licensing framework with regard to seismic exploration and oil and gas extraction.

"The Greek state must safeguard the respect for environmental legislation and unimpeded access to this information as is appropriate to a country governed by the rule of law," WWF Hellas's legal coordinator Giorgos Hasiotis said.

"The report on the implementation of environmental legislation that we present each year reveals significant gaps and shortcomings that must be addressed by the relevant bodies," he added.