Cyprus and Greece told to clean up landfills or face ECJ

摘要

Greece and Cyprus have been sent reasoned opinions, giving the countries two months to clean up illegal landfills or face possible action in the European Court of Justice. The European Commission said on 26 January it was sending the reasoned opinions urging the two member states to comply with the requirements of the EU landfill directive (99/3 I/EC) on the Greek islands of Zakynthos and Corfu and in Cyprus. "Landfills operating in breach of EU waste legislation constitute a serious threat to human health and the environment," the Commission said in a statement on the case. The Commission is sending Greece two reasoned opinions. The first concerns a landfill situated inside a National Marine Park on the island of Zakynthos. The park was set up to protect the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta, a priority species classified as endangered.