Progress stalled on the Plan for the Wetlands
[news item September 2005]
The key
to protecting the Kalloni wetlands is the implementation of the Plan for
the Wetlands (http://www.greenlesbos.com/downloads/proposal.pdf
). In discussions with the Department of the Environment in Mytilini it
emerged that the process was stalled because the consultant had failed to
produce the final draft of the Plan for consultation despite having been
paid for the work. In October we had a meeting with the consultant,
Cristoforos N. Mandilas and reached an
agreement with him that he would submit the final report by 17th
November 2004. Mr Mandilas did not deliver the final version of the plan
by the agreed deadline and still hasn’t done so. We could ask the European
Union, who funded the Plan for the Wetlands, to reclaim their (our!) money
but first we will discuss the matter with the Steering Group for the Plan.
The Authorities in Lesbos are as keen to get the final version of the Plan
as we are. If Mr Mandilas continues to refuse to fulfil his obligations we
may have no choice but to ask the EU to intervene.