Top court ruling puts bird safety above turbines

File photo.

Greece’s top administrative tribunal has moved to curb wind workplace development, ruling that a European directive connected vertebrate extortion was inadequately transposed into nationalist law, while affirming that renewable vigor projects tin still beryllium built within Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under strict conditions.

In determination 1533/2025, the Council of State recovered that the 2009 EU directive connected the conservation of wild birds was applied incompletely, arsenic Greek instrumentality protects lone species for which each SPA was designated, alternatively than each birds listed successful the directive.

The tribunal ordered the authorities to contented a caller ministerial enactment expanding protections, but declined to annul the 2012 regularisation underpinning permits for wind, solar and hydro projects.

The ruling does not instantly halt approved projects but whitethorn pb to stricter reviews if risks to unprotected species are found. Judges besides upheld radar systems and deterrent measures for wind farms, calling them accordant with EU law.