Trade with Greece
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The Greek side believes that post-2020 European
policy should focus on, and support, the three
main targets that have been agreed upon: securi-
ty of supply, sustainability and competition.
As far as automobile carbon dioxide emissions
are concerned, the Greek side is firmly in favour
of ambitious reduction targets, designed to
ensure atmospheric quality in big cities, reduce
carbon dioxide emissions and save fuel.
However, the issue is on hold, because of
Germany. More specifically, the delay in imposing
new restrictions on the emissions of carbon diox-
ide from cars circulating in the streets of the
European Union is attributed to pressures mainly
exerted by Germany.
Last June, the European Parliament, the
European Commission and the governments of
the member states reached an agreement, which
stipulated that, from 2020 on, the average car
should not produce emissions of more than 95
grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre.
Nonetheless, following pressures, mainly from the
side of the German government, these restrictions
are not going to come into force before 2024.
Legislative Initiatives
According to a briefing by the competent ministry,
as far as legislation is concerned, the Greek presi-
dency will address a wide range of issues, such as:
maritime spatial planning and integrated coastal
zone management; waste disposal, emphasizing
on the shipment of waste and packaging waste
management, as well as the revision of the directive
on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous
substances in electrical and electronic equipment;
the management of chemicals, emphasizing on the
strategy for endocrine disrupters; the revision of
the directives on air quality and environmental lia-
bility; issues pertaining to the reduction of the
impact from the use of non-conventional sources
of energy; the amendment of the Biocidal
Products Regulation; and, finally, biodiversity
issues, emphasizing on invasive alien species.
In addition, during the Greek presidency the
European Commission is expected to issue two
Statements as part of the “Europe 2020” strategy
roadmap to a resource-efficient Europe, which
will concern “Sustainability in Construction” and
“Sustainability in the Food Sector”, both issues of
great interest to Greece.
In the environmental field, the Ministry for the
Environment, Energy and Climate Change is
working together with the other two presidencies
(Ireland –1st semester of 2013– and Lithuania –
2nd semester of 2013).
A key fact in regard to planning is that the Greek
presidency coincides with a transitional period for
the EU, with the European elections of May 2014
and the reshuffle of political personnel in the seats
of the European Commissioners. Therefore, the
legislative work that will be introduced during the
Greek presidency, through the cooperation among
the European Council, the European Commission
and the European Parliament, will have to be final-
ized by March 2014.
On the international level, the Greek presidency
of the EU is expected to see the continuation of
preparations for setting out the community’s posi-
tions and priorities in view of the Conference of
the Parties to the United Nations Convention on
Biological Diversity in October 2014, as well as
the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change in November-December 2014, in
