Environmental Licensing, Spatial Planning & Energy Cost Progress

In a government consultation on industrial policy headed by the Premier Antonis Samaras, the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Yiannis Maniatis presented on Tuesday his ministry's initiatives on the facilitation of the environmental licensing of businesses, spatial planning issues and the reduction of energy cost.

Maniatis said that the ministry's measures on the environmental licensing of businesses have so far led to yearly savings of 85 million euros, as the licensing procedure has been limited to less than 2,500 businesses a year, down from 21,500 businesses.

On the spatial planning issue, the minister underlined that there has been a drastic reduction to a period of 3-5 years - from what used to be 20 years - of the spatial planning approval procedure. Maniatis also mentioned that a bill including the urban and spatial plans of Athens and Thessaloniki is expected to be approved by the Parliament on Wednesday, while the Regional Spatial Plans are undergoing a consultation phase.