Why is the Blue Municipalities Network, in which Aegean Rebreath participates as a managing and coordinating body, considered the most representative platform of environmental democracy? That’s because the demands and proposals of civil society, municipal officials, research and educational institutions participating in the Network’s Technical Team have reached the level of Central Administration.
This process began in April, when the Technical Team of the Network highlighted waste management as a top priority. It continued with the completion of an online questionnaire by officials from the 24 municipalities that highlighted problems and proposals. These findings, along with a letter, were then sent to the Ministry of Environment and Energy as well as to the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece. Following this, the Blue Municipalities Network received a letter from Mr. Grafakos, Secretary General for Waste Management Coordination, inviting the members to a meeting to discuss the issues raised by the initiative of the network.
The meeting took place and the dialogue developed was constructive and productive. Mr. Grafakos showed particular interest in the proposals of the network members, presented the Ministry’s upcoming legislative initiatives, while he invited the Blue Municipalities Network to submit specific proposals for practices and policies that could be adopted by the Ministry. In this context, the network members committed to submitting proposals in the coming days that will actively contribute to addressing the existing challenges and needs.
For Aegean Rebreath, these developments are considered promising, as they recognize the essential role that both civil society and local government can play in developing well-documented policies for the coastal and marine environment. It is clear that environmental problems primarily concern local communities, and within this framework, the use of local expertise and the active participation of citizens cannot be absent from the effort to develop meaningful practices.
