Discussion on the Acheloos River diversion project began before the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg on Tuesday, based on a request sent by Greece's supreme administrative court, the Council of State.
The CoS has asked the European court to interpret EU directives on the management of water resources, especially the management of river basins, that pertain to numerous cases brought before the CoS objecting to the ambitious project to irrigate the water-hungry Thessaly plain.
The project has been on hold by order of the CoS since February 2010, when the court agreed with the claims of environmental groups and local authorities that the diversion would cause irreparable harm to the ecosystem of Greece's second-longest river, lead to further degeneration of landscapes and have a negative impact on water levels.
ANA-MPA
