in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the Region of Attica, on the occasion of completing the public consultation on waste management projects in Attica.

Speakers of the workshop were the YPEKA Minister George Papaconstantinou, the Deputy Minister of Interior Paris Koukoulopoulos, the Head of the Region of Attica Yiannis Sgouros and YPEKA’s Secretary General Aris Alexopoulos.

In his speech, Mr. Thanasis Katris stated:

"The first level of local government should be solely responsible for the pre-sorting and management of organic waste and produce compost material as well as energy in small local plants”.

In this context, Mr. Katris referred to the need of creating Green Spots within the municipalities. He stressed that every Municipality should carry all of its waste to this Spot while preserving, however, that all this effort will not become a new kind of dump.

He also added that there should be a cooperation of the Municipalities with the alternative management systems, which would ensure the generation of less waste to the Central Units.

He also stressed that in this way, after processing a residue of about 25% may remain and for this we must avoid the use of technically inferior technologies that ultimately do not properly utilize waste and lead them to burial.

Finally he noted that at this juncture, certain actions should be targeted and specific priorities should be set such as constructing an integrated waste management plant until 2014.