ECHMES Ltd participates with the presentation entitled “Best practices in extractive waste management” of the EIT RawMaterials event: 5th Greek Raw Materials Community Dialogue. The event is scheduled to take place on- line at 8 & 9 December 2020. This year’s event is dedicated to Circular Economy of Raw Materials. The 5th Greek Raw Materials Community Dialogue will be followed, back-to-back, by a technical and problem-solving workshop on extractive waste management and characterization.

The JMD no. 92108/1045 / Φ.15 (3833/Β/2020) has been published in the Government Gazette. The new JMD modernizes the criteria for environmental classification of manufacturing activities, while at the same time the Decisions for the classification of these activities in degrees of nuisance are abolished. Any reference in the current legislation to High, Medium and Low nuisance is henceforth understood as a reference to categories A1, A2 and B respectively of the environmental classification. See here the form

The Minister of Environment and Energy, Giorgos Stathakis, met today with the contractor’s team, that our Company ECHMES participates in, which will prepare the Special Land Planning Framework for Mineral Raw Materials and the Strategic Environmental Impact Study. The Minister was briefed on the process of preparing the study and the timetable for the country to acquire for the first time a Special Land Planning Framework for Mineral Raw Materials. The preparation of the framework will start immediately and will be completed within 18 months, including the relevant draft of the Joint Ministerial Decision, through a substantial and expanded dialogue with relevent stakeholders. The aim is to maximize the stakeholder engagement, of all actors in the industry and the scientific community. The purpose of the Land Planning Framework is to formulate policy directions for the land use structure of the sector, in relation to existing land uses, on the basis of sustainable development, the emergence of comparative advantages of the country, the preservation and protection of the cultural and natural heritage. It seeks to develop a land planning organization model that will promote and strengthen competitiveness and enrichment of strategically important resources and will be in harmonization with national strategic planning for the exploitation of mineral wealth, providing legal certainty as a prerequisite for attracting investments.

Since 2019 ECHMES is a member as a Project Partner of the EIT Raw Materials. ReviRIS. Revitalising Post-Mining Regions: Problems and Potential in RIS Europe The objective of the Project is to develop an evaluative toolbox for decision makers (regional and local governments, industry and communities) for post transitional and mining land use. Selection of best alternative is based on the needs of local stakeholders, land use planners and regional developers, range of viable alternatives, social, economic, cultural and environmental characteristics of the site. The key issues for the development of this toolbox is the active participation of stakeholders and the extension of the Social License to Operate, through their active involvement in decision process regarding mine closure and site rehabilitation. The ReviRis Project commenced in January 2020 and will continue until the end of December 2021. The ReviRis Project is being implemented under the coordination of Tallinn University of Technology, with the collaboration of significant partners, including European Universities and private companies. The Project is implemented within the framework of EIT RawMaterials, initiated and funded by the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology), with vision is to develop Raw Materials into a major strength for Europe.

The Electronic Environmental Registry (EER) is an innovative operational tool for environmental policy and was initiated on the 5th July 2018. Its purpose is to reduce bureaucracy, time and cost of environmental permitting through a transparent process. The EER supports all the procedures and stages of environmental permitting, while it contains all information about the environmental performance of a project or activity during its life cycle.  All project documentation of a project can be submitted to the EER, such as: the Preliminary Assessment of Environmental Requirements, Decision of Approval of Environmental Terms (DAET), renewal and/or amendment of DAET, the Final Compliance Documentation, the Technical Environmental Study, etc. The EER is accessible via the following URL: http://eprm.ypen.gr  A Help Desk has been established to facilitate the registry user, and is available online at help.eprm@prv.ypeka.gr and by phone at +30 210 641 7806 and +30 210 641 7714.  

A new Quarry Law is being issued 4512/2018 (Α’5 / 17.01.2018) for the regulation of the Research and Exploitation of quarries minerals and other provisions. See here the form