modern techniques. In addition, the proportion of municipal waste that is recycled is
only about a third of the EU average. Investments are also needed to improve water
treatment, combat groundwater salinization, and support measures to prevent
flooding and restore the natural flow of rivers” (European Commission
2019a, b, c). Moreover, the EU Court of Justice has imposed more than 100 million
Euros of fines on Greece for non-compliance with EU law provisions in the fields of
solid waste and urban wastewater treatment (European Commission 2019b; WWF
2019).
The EU is not the only one to express worries; WWF is systematically
animadverting the country for its environmental performance, while this is confirmed by many national and international NGOs. The new exploration for oil in the
Aegean Sea is one of the controversial issues for these organisations.
12.4 Policies and Governance for the CE
12.4.1 The Legal Landscape Before the Introduction
of the CE Strategy
The predecessors to the CE policy in the country was waste management, and to a
lesser extent, R&I supports measures for improvements in the energy and environment. The first law on recycling was adopted in 2001 (Law 2939/2001), but Greece
has failed to achieve the targets it had set for itself on recyclables collection. This is
attributed both to an inadequate mix of policies, to lack of incentives and to
inadequate resources to the municipalities and citizens. The choices made were for
very large and expensive recycling units with long delivery contracts processing
large quantities of mixed waste. These options failed.
A most recent law adopted by the Parliament in 2017 (4496/2017) provides for
sorting waste at the source, as well as ecological waste management. The aim of the
government’s policy in the programming period 2014–2020 was to harmonise Greek
legislation with the European institutional framework so that by 2020 at least
70–80% of recyclable waste is collected at source. This objective was expected to
be achieved at the municipal level with the participation of citizens, so that waste
could be used as an important source for saving valuable and endangered raw
materials.
This law was characterised by the introduction of a fee for plastic bags (which has
since been introduced with spectacular impact on the reduction of plastic bags) and
the introduction of specific measures to reduce the use of the plastic bag, in line with
the provisions of Directive 2015/720/EU; the gradual achievement of new national
targets and the reduction of waste resulting in landfill, below 30% by 2020; the
creation of a National Public Information System and the upgrading of the recycling
quality by requiring separate collection at source in at least four streams (containers)
of packaging. Moreover, sorting at the source becomes mandatory in public spaces
12 Circular Economy in National Smart Specialisation Strategies: The Case of Greece
205
only about a third of the EU average. Investments are also needed to improve water
treatment, combat groundwater salinization, and support measures to prevent
flooding and restore the natural flow of rivers” (European Commission
2019a, b, c). Moreover, the EU Court of Justice has imposed more than 100 million
Euros of fines on Greece for non-compliance with EU law provisions in the fields of
solid waste and urban wastewater treatment (European Commission 2019b; WWF
2019).
The EU is not the only one to express worries; WWF is systematically
animadverting the country for its environmental performance, while this is confirmed by many national and international NGOs. The new exploration for oil in the
Aegean Sea is one of the controversial issues for these organisations.
12.4 Policies and Governance for the CE
12.4.1 The Legal Landscape Before the Introduction
of the CE Strategy
The predecessors to the CE policy in the country was waste management, and to a
lesser extent, R&I supports measures for improvements in the energy and environment. The first law on recycling was adopted in 2001 (Law 2939/2001), but Greece
has failed to achieve the targets it had set for itself on recyclables collection. This is
attributed both to an inadequate mix of policies, to lack of incentives and to
inadequate resources to the municipalities and citizens. The choices made were for
very large and expensive recycling units with long delivery contracts processing
large quantities of mixed waste. These options failed.
A most recent law adopted by the Parliament in 2017 (4496/2017) provides for
sorting waste at the source, as well as ecological waste management. The aim of the
government’s policy in the programming period 2014–2020 was to harmonise Greek
legislation with the European institutional framework so that by 2020 at least
70–80% of recyclable waste is collected at source. This objective was expected to
be achieved at the municipal level with the participation of citizens, so that waste
could be used as an important source for saving valuable and endangered raw
materials.
This law was characterised by the introduction of a fee for plastic bags (which has
since been introduced with spectacular impact on the reduction of plastic bags) and
the introduction of specific measures to reduce the use of the plastic bag, in line with
the provisions of Directive 2015/720/EU; the gradual achievement of new national
targets and the reduction of waste resulting in landfill, below 30% by 2020; the
creation of a National Public Information System and the upgrading of the recycling
quality by requiring separate collection at source in at least four streams (containers)
of packaging. Moreover, sorting at the source becomes mandatory in public spaces
12 Circular Economy in National Smart Specialisation Strategies: The Case of Greece
205