Measures to cut pollution
22 July 2009
An environment tax on vehicles, no longer based on engine size but also on emissions produced: this will be one of the measures adopted by Greek government to curb atmospheric pollution from vehicles.
The measures have come out of a meeting of a parliamentary commission under Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. Following the meeting, statements made by the country's Minister for Public Works, Town Planning and the Environment, Georgico Souflias, indicated that so-called "green" vehicles will make use of a reduction in the number of vehicle registrations and vehicles in circulation, while those using out-dated technology which pollute the most will face tax hikes of between 50 and 150 Euros.
The new charges, the Minister explained, will come into force in 2010. On top of this, Souflias announced that a new programme is to be set up for removing older vehicles from circulation, to be financed by the new taxes and not from the Statés coffers, alongside a green zone in central Athens as from September 2011, where polluting vehicles are to be barred.
Source: ANSAmed
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