An amendment of the Ministry of Shipping opens the way for the projects in the PPA to be unblocked

Her Anastasia Vamvaka

An extraordinary amendment of the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy submitted to the draft law of the Ministry of Justice on the “Code of Organization of Courts and the Status of Judicial Officers” paves the way for the resumption of extension works of the southern pier for cruise ships (Cruise Ships).

The amendment harmonizes the operation of ESAL, the Port Planning and Development Committee of the Ministry of Shipping, with the recent decision of the Council of State that put a brake on ongoing projects as they were approved without first having a Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEA).

Now the amendment deletes from the law 2932/2001 the paragraph which said that “there is no need for evaluation and approval of the Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SES) of the development program and the management study (Master Plan) of the port, if, after its approval , the environmental permitting process is followed “.

By 31/12/2023, the Port Organizations and the ports of national importance must prepare or update the Development Plan and Management Study (Master Plan) for their ports of responsibility.

As the amendment adds, the positive opinion of ESAL is not required, for port expansion or modification projects, during the environmental licensing of port projects which are part of an already approved Development Plan and Port Management Study (Master Plan).

The amendment

According to the regulation, the Master Plans will be approved by the competent Ministers with the opinion of ESAL and a Presidential Decree will “determine the maximum allowed port limits, land uses and building conditions and restrictions on land port, permitted alluvium and the general characteristics of the planned projects that serve the commercial, passenger, maritime, tourist, industrial and fishing traffic, as well as ship repair and reservation, traffic organization and any other necessary elements for the service of the functionality and security of the port ”

The essential addition is that now with the same presidential decrees the environmental approval of the above plans will be done, after observing a strategic environmental assessment procedure according to the relevant provisions, elaboration of Strategic Environmental Impact Study and submission of Environmental Permit and Environmental Licensing Directorate. consultation of the public and the competent authorities, evaluation of the study and the results of the consultation, as well as issue of a proposal, the terms of which are incorporated

The HRDH will be able to prepare the Strategic Study for: Piraeus Port Authority (OLP), 2) Thessaloniki Port Authority (OLTH), 3) Alexandroupolis Port Organization (ALL), 4) Kavala Port Organization (OLK), 5) Igoumenitsa Port Organization (OLIG), 6) Corfu Port Organization (OLKE), 7) Volos Port Organization (OLK). Β.), 8) Organization of the Port of Patras (ΟΛ.ΠΑ.), 9) Organization of the Port of Elefsina [Ο.Λ.Ε.), 10) Οργανισμό Λιμένος Ραφήνας (Ο.ΛΡ.), 11) Οργανισμό Λιμένος Λαυρίου (ΟΛΑ.), 12) Οργανισμό Λιμένος Ηρακλείου (ΟΛΗ.).

Πλέον με αυτό τον τρόπο, φαίνεται πως ξεπερνιέται και το πιθανό πρόβλημα να σταματούσαν επενδυτικά έργα στα προς ιδιωτικοποίηση Λιμάνια εξαιτίας της απουσίας ΣΜΠΕ, ενώ το Master Plan είχε ήδη εγκριθεί.

Οι εξαιρέσεις

Κατ’ εξαίρεση, με κοινές αποφάσεις των Υπουργών Περιβάλλοντος, Ενέργειας και Ναυτιλίας και Νησιωτικής Πολιτικής, ύστερα από γνώμη Ε.Σ.Α.Λ., είναι δυνατό για μεμονωμένες και μη ουσιώδεις τροποποιήσεις των Master Plan των λιμανιών να μην απαιτείται ΣΜΠΕ.

“Για τις τροποποιήσεις αυτές δεν απαιτείται να ακολουθηθεί η διαδικασία της στρατηγικής περιβαλλοντικής εκτίμησης, εφόσον κατά το διενεργούμενο περιβαλλοντικό προέλεγχο διαπιστωθεί ότι δεν επιφέρουν σημαντικές επιπτώσεις στο περιβάλλον και Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας, από σύμφωνη γνώμη Ε.Σ.Α.Λ” αναφέρει η τροπολογία.