Greens threaten court action over Athens Olympics

Date: 25/09/1997

By Leyla Linton

GREECE is likely to face European Court of Justice action if it does not carry out another study into the impact of the Olympic Games on the environment, claim Green MEPs.

The Greens, who also campaigned against the games being held in Rome or Stockholm, have vowed to continue their fight against the Greek capital's successful bid to host the Olympiad in 2004.

“We were quite happy when Rome did not win it, but annoyed when Athens did. It is not at all finished, the criticism has to go on,” said German Green MEP Claudia Roth.

She complained that the site chosen for the games in Athens infringed on nature reserves and affected archaeological sites, and also voiced concern over the effect the extra traffic generated by the event could have on the city's already smog-laden air.

Roth warned that environmental campaigners would take Greece to the ECJ for breaching an EU directive on the assessment of public and private projects for their impact on the environment if it failed to carry out another study.

The Greens also intend to set up an observatory in Athens, together with non-governmental organisations, to monitor the environmental consequences of the games.

Roth admitted that the Green Party was not well supported in Greece, but said the group would nevertheless try to convince the local population that it could be saddled with part of the cost of hosting the games. “We will make it as difficult as possible for them to ignore the consequences,” she said.

But Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos insisted this week that the event posed no threat to the environment. “All studies assure us of one thing - that the environment will be protected,” he said, adding: “In the 1970s, Athens was a polluted city. Now it is clean.”

Avramopoulos added that 93&percent; of the citizens of his city supported the games. “This is a huge percentage and I am sure that they know very well that their environment is defended,” he said.

The Greens have also expressed concern at what they see as the growing commercialism of the games, claiming the costs have spiralled out of all proportion.

But Avramopoulos said that Athens would not fall into the commercialism trap. “We have decided to give the games back their noble and original spirit and values,” he said.