A few hours after the Parliament voted down the bill and regulations imposing a landfill tax on municipal waste—and amid criticism from political parties regarding the state’s inability to effectively manageeffectively manage the issue, the Minister of Agriculture responded via Alpha TV, stating that the government has a plan, which it is implementing with guidance from expert advisors.

“The government inherited exactly what you described: a long-standing problem with existing strategies and projects that were never fully developed or implemented. From the very beginning, the government of Nikos Christodoulides addressed the issue.”
Maria Panagiotou – Minister of Agriculture

According to Maria Panagiotou, a feasibility study is currently underway to determine the optimal technology for the final upgrade of the IntegratedIntegrated Waste Management Facilities, while regarding the Pentakomo Integrated Waste Management Facility (OEDA), she notes that management is expected to be taken over by a new contractor by

2027.““180 contracts just for the Pentakomo Integrated Waste Management Facility so that it can operate and avoid a public health crisis.”
Maria Panagiotou – Minister of Agriculture

Municipalities Satisfied

The Union of Municipalities described the Parliament’s decision to reject the imposition of a waste tax as responsible. 

“Local governments and citizens cannot bear the cost of the state’s long-standing failure to create the necessary infrastructure and conditions for effective waste management.”
Union of Municipalities

The Union of Municipalities calls on the government to engage in a substantive dialogue to develop a practical and fair framework that will ensure environmental protection and the fulfillment of the country’s European obligations, without imposing unjustified financial burdens on citizens.

Watch the report by Rafaella Stavrinou: