EU Commissioner in Corfu and Epirus: The Importance of Regional Funds; Fines for Illegal Landfill Dumps

Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, visits Corfu and Epirus

"In Corfu, Hahn will concentrate on support for quality and sustainable tourism in the Ionian islands. In Epirus, the focus will partly be on the role that EU regional funds can have in supporting the health sector and moves to modernise and reform it".

Down in the dumps on Corfu

"European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn expressed his frustration with Greek authorities for failing to comply with regulations governing the management of solid waste...

"It is apparently a huge problem because we have been discussing it for decades, not only for years but for many years and it is still in my view not yet properly solved because we have still a lot of illegal landfills," Hahn said on Monday in Corfu...

His tour included a stop at the Temploni landfill, which is one of dozens across Greece that has yet to fully comply with European waste management standards.

The European commissioner warned that "there will be fines because Greece has repeatedly not respected any deadlines."

He added that areas such as the Ionian islands that depend on tourism should be more motivated to fix the problem.

Greece has repeatedly been rapped by European authorities for allowing the operation of illegal dumps, and especially in environmentally sensitive areas.

According to recent estimates by the Commission, some 78 illegal landfills continue to operate in violation of EU waste legislation in Greece and 318 are still in the process of being rehabilitated.

Hahn on Tuesday was visiting Epirus".