Attica Regional Governor Nikos Hardalias has stated that the Region of Attica will not approve Environmental Impact Assessments for wind turbines in fire-damaged areas. The decision follows destructive wildfires in West Attica.
In a public post, Hardalias emphasized that the region's main priority is restoring forest ecosystems and securing conditions for their natural regeneration. The region plans to carry out necessary restoration projects in fire-hit areas of West Attica within its authority and in cooperation with the state, sticking to announced schedules.
Prevention projects and funding
Hardalias noted that the region is also prepared to implement planned prevention projects, including retention dams. Financial resources for these works have already been provided by the central state following a decision by the Green Fund.
The governor set the protection of natural regeneration as a key condition, warning that no restoration or prevention project can substitute for protecting ecosystems. He pledged personally that for as long as he leads the region's administration, every inch of naturally regenerating land affected by recent fires will be protected in practice.
Renewable energy restrictions
At the center of his intervention was the installation of Renewable Energy Sources in fire-stricken areas. Hardalias stated that no Environmental Impact Assessment for wind turbines or industrial renewable energy projects will be approved in Attica in protected, reforested, or fire-affected locations.
Referring specifically to West Attica, he stressed that the region does not view burned forest areas as available space for new developments. He said affected forests and mountains are not empty space on the map and that no environmentally damaging activities will be permitted in areas trying to recover.
Hardalias linked the protection of fire-stricken areas to the broader green transition policy, separating renewable energy development from forest ecosystem protection. He stated that the green transition is not an empty slogan and cannot be achieved by destroying mountains or hindering recovering ecosystems.
He concluded by reiterating the region's commitment to natural reforestation without industrial interventions, describing the administration's position as steady, responsible, clear, and without asterisks.
