The European Union’s top court ruled on Wednesday that Greece must pay at least $8.4m for failing to properly dispose its hazardous waste such as chemicals and medical discards.
The country, which is on an €86billion lifeline, its third international bailout since 2010, has been taken to court on several occasions for its poor waste management.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) had ruled in 2009 that Greece must implement a system to manage hazardous types of waste that take a long time to break down and often likely to cause cancer.
In 2014, the European Commission called Athens to task for failing to comply with the ruling in time and asked the Luxembourg-based judges to follow up with a fine.
“On top of the 10-million-euro lump sum, Athens must pay a penalty of €30,000 per day – starting from today until it complies with the 2009 judgment.
“The case is particularly serious,” the court said, noting that “Greece’s failure to act is liable to directly endanger human health and to harm the environment.
“Six years after the initial ruling, Greece has not started on the construction of several installations and three landfill sites required for the treatment of hazardous waste,’’ the ECJ ruled.
(DPA/NAN)
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