Papakonstantinou will have a difficult job in the Environment ministry too

New environment minister Giorgos Papakonstantinou is expected to start from the riddle of unauthorised construction, freed from Tina Birbili who, during the delivery of her portfolio, acknowledged they had opposite views. Besides, the former minister was exposed through the decisions of the Finance Ministry since despite assurances that there will be no additional tax on semi-open spaces, only recently thousands of people found out that was a financial presumption!

Undoubtedly, it was proven that Tina’s insistence to defend her views with passion had one big enemy: the government and the PASOK MPs. This is why her attempt to pass rules and a strict environmental protection framework were not rewarded by the PM for a third time, despite the fact that they shared common views on many issues.

Papakonstantinou is now called upon to pick up where Tina left off, and speed up the fund extraction procedures, closely following the mid-term plan. The question is how?

Weeks ago the ministry leaked their plans on a strict regulation for unauthorised construction, a one-way street for all of it. The rationale was to have the settling incentive, but for spaces with exemption for some years (e.g. 40), bring inthe imposition of a fine depending on the illegality, and unleash the demolition “boogeyman” for those that don’t enter the setting. This scenario had an estimated revenue of 2 to 4bil euros.

Naturally, such a prospect was not well received by thw CoS, which deems every legalization of unauthorised structures from 1983 onwards as anti-constitutional and does not approve of rules that create two citizen categories. Moreover, as prominent jurists say, the urban planning deviation of semi-open spaces regarded offences inside legal constructions, as opposed to unauthorised ones that were completely illegal.

Other scenarios have been leaked occasionally, for example, the collection the construction and maintenance fines from about 2.500 arbitraries declared in 2003-2004 for electrification. This was proposed by Birbili as well, as it was the only way without constitutional obstacles. We will soon see what the new minister is going to do, since the requirements of the new memorandum are imposing the settling of unauthorised construction. The question is by which loophole…

Attica’s 10 open fronts

Papakonstantinou might have left a difficult ministry behind him, but he will soon have to make his mark as Environment minister in 10 open fronts:
 
- Semi-open spaces. The ministry’s 3rd deadline expires at the end of July. The applications are over 700.000 and the new minister will have to decide whether to complete the regulation or give a new extension. The Finance ministry had estimated 1,5mil euros as revenue from the settling of unauthorised construction.
- After a great delay, the former Environment minister had programmed to present in early July the new regulatory plan of Athens, including the basic principles for the city’s development until 2020. It includes blocking the city’s expansion, provides for the gradual elimination of construction outside of the city’s urban planning through the abolition of exemptions and suggests the payment of the premium for expropriated areas where large profit value is generated.
- Even upon leaving the ministry, Birbili stood up against the expansion of highways. It was an indirect exhortation toward her successor to not give in to the relevant pressure. Up until the last moment, Dimitris Reppas as Infrastructure minister was pressing for the construction of the tunnel in Hymettus that would link the basin with Mesogeia.
- The posting of forest maps in Marathon, New Penteli and Panteli proved less painful in action than expected. But the big step of the ratification of forest maps should continue with the maps of Kifissia, Drosia, Fili and Stamata.
- The architectural competition for the paving of Panepistimiou is programmed for the end of the month. The new leadership of the ministry will have to manage a comprehensive program of urban regeneration and bicycle routes, when the constant chorus is that they are impossible to finance due to lack of funds. Knowing the prosaic reality of numbers, the new minister should decide which of Birbili's ambitious plans can move forward.
- The development of Elliniko and the waste management projects in Keratea: last Wednesday, when the government was going through moments of absolute destabilization, Keratea entities were submitting their alternative proposal for the site. The ministry will soon be called upon to present the proposal to the government and decide upon its future. Regarding Elliniko, the call for proposals is expected by the end of this month, thus establishing a kind of barometer for investor interests. Papakonstantinou will have a say in the shaping of the area, but from a perspective that does not have enough to show for an environmentally friendly approach.