The areas with garrigues and spiny brooms are no longer considered forests

The Technical Council of Forests of the Ministry of Environment and Energy unanimously stated that the areas covered by garrigue and spiny brooms do not meet the criteria to be classified as forests or of forest character.
 
The Technical Council of Forests reached this opinion after two meetings, in order to examine the question addressed to it by the Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, George Amyras, on March 23.
 
Based on the unanimous opinion issued today, the areas that in the past were of a rural nature and due to the abandonment developed garrigue and spiny brooms are not characterized as forest.
 
In addition, the areas that were used for grazing and are covered over time only by furze vegetation and garrigue are no longer characterized as forest, but as grasslands.
 
This will be followed by the signing of the relevant decision by the competent Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, George Amyras, which is part of the initiatives taken by the Ministry of Environment and Energy to correct errors in forest maps.
 
This decision solves significant failures, concerning the characterization of areas mainly in Crete, the Dodecanese, the Cyclades, Mani, North Aegean and other regions of the country.
 
The Minister of Environment and Energy, Costas Skrekas, stated that, with the unanimous opinion of the Technical Council of Forests of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, they can now take the first step to correct the errors in the forest maps, as per their commitment. In the next period, the Ministry will take additional initiatives in order to solve the problems that have arisen from the posting of forest maps with horizontal internal procedures by the competent services, without cost and inconvenience for the citizens. he then went on to say that the ratification of forest maps is an emblematic reform and the most reliable tool for the protection of the natural environment, public property and the rights of citizens ".
 
The Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, George Amyras, stated that the government is realistic about all the problems that have arisen. The public administration is changing its dogma and will correct any errors that exist in the forest maps. Without bothering the citizens. The ministry aims tol protect the forest in accordance with the requirements of the Greek Constitution, while ensuring the property rights of the citizens.