Two diametrically opposed decisions have recently been issued for wind power stations (WPS) in Evros and Rhodope. On February 27th, the Decentralised Administration of Macedonia and Thrace rejected a WPS planned near the nests of Egyptian and Griffon vultures in the protected area of Kompsatos Valley and this decision is promising news for both vultures and dozens of other rare birds of prey living in the area. And yet, just five days before, on February 22nd, the Ministry of Environment and Energy had licensed another WPS on the Greek-Bulgarian border, between Petrota and Pentalofos in the Municipality of Orestiada. In this case, the unfortunate Egyptian vulture did not nest in Greece, but in Bulgaria, however at a very close distance (only 5 km) from the WPS location.

Regarding the licensing of the WPS "ANGELIKOULA" in the Komsatos Valley, the Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace (SPBT) and the Hellenic Ornithological Society (HOS) had already from the first moment reacted strongly, expressing their negative position which they supported with scientific data. The arguments of the two organisations and the negative opinion of NECCA that followed, convinced other authorities to give a negative opinion, so that finally the Decentralised Administration decided that the WPS will have significant impacts and that such a project contradicts the conservation objectives of protected species in the area. In the negative decision of the Decentralised Administration, the area of the Komsatos Valley is described as "habitat of exceptional importance for rare protected bird species" and it is further underlined that, especially after the recent fires where important habitats have been burnt, the area is of particular importance for the breeding and feeding of endangered species. The special importance of these areas -adjacent to the burnt areas- had already been pointed out by nine environmental organisations in a joint letter to the Minister of Environment and Energy since last October, asking for the suspension of the licensing procedures for WPS in these areas, but the Ministry has not yet published any relevant decision, and despite reminders it avoids to reply to the environmental organisations.

Regarding the licensing of the WPS "MAVRI PETRA" in Orestiada, apart from the negative opinion of the Forestry Service, there was a strong reaction from citizens and bodies, the School of Forestry and Natural Resources Management and the Laboratory of Forest Botany of the Democritus University of Thrace, who sent letters expressing their opposition to the destruction of the unique natural forest ecosystem in the Municipality of Orestiada, as part of the public consultation. The Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) was informed by the SPBT about the project planning and immediately sent a letter to the Ministry of Environment, informing about the existence of an active Egyptian vulture nest at a distance of less than 5 km and about the legislation in the neighbouring country, according to which – as in Greece - an exclusion zone for WPS is defined within a radius of 5 km from Egyptian vulture nests. The Ministry of the Environment ignored the reactions of citizens and bodies, did not take any interest in the impact of the WPS on the biodiversity of the neighbouring country and in its decision does not explain the reasons why these were not taken into account. It should be noted that the mandatory information and provision of an opinion by a neighbouring EU Member State when a project is likely to have a significant impact on its environment is explicitly provided for by the European Directive 2011/92/EU (on the assessment of the effects of projects on the environment).

 "Perhaps there is hope for the Egyptian and Griffon Vultures and the rare birds of prey that have found refuge in Komsatos. Unfortunately, our trust in the Administration which makes the decisions has been lost. We all remember that last July three wind turbines were approved in Komsatos, two of them within the exclusion zone established for the Egyptian vulture. And now the approval of the wind power station on the Greek-Bulgarian border, despite all the opposition. We hope that in the future the administration will at least make the right decisions based on the protection of the environment and taking into account the positions of local bodies and citizens. Moreover, the administration either at regional or national level, as well as the competent authorities to give opinion, need to set the same values and priorities and not to give contradictory opinions/approvals", said Lefteris Kapsalis, scientific associate of Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace.

Notes:

• You can see the rejection decision of the Decentralised Administration of Macedonia - Thrace for the WPS "ANGELIKOULA" in Kompsatos Valley here.
• You can see the approval decision of the Ministry of Environment and Energy for the WPS "MAVRI PETRA" in Orestiada here.
• • Since 2021, the beneficiary company had already submitted a file for the environmental licensing of the same WPS "ANGELIKOULA" in the same location, with the difference that the 2021 planning concerned 12 wind turbines, while the 2022 one concerned 7 of greater power, rotor diameter and pillar height. In the first planning (2021), 6 of the 12 turbines were located within the exclusion zone for WPSs designated by a joined ministerial decision for the protection of the Egyptian vulture and the remaining six marginally outside the exclusion zone. At the new planning, and after objections and negative opinions, the company canceled the six turbines placed within the exclusion zone, while retaining (with small deviations of 0 to 135 m) the six turbines placed marginally outside the exclusion zone and adding an additional one to the west of the others, which is only 645 m from the exclusion zone.
• The population of the Egyptian Vulture has suffered a dramatic decline in recent years in Greece and as a result there are only five territories/nests left in Thrace, four of which are in Evros and one in Rhodope, at Thracian Meteora in the Komsatos Valley. For this reason, the National Action Plan for the Egyptian Vulture in Greece has been signed by a joint ministerial decision (no. 43236/1053/25-10-2017, Greek Government Gazette B'3760), which, inter alia, defines an exclusion zone for WPSs within a radius of at least 5 km from Egyptian vulture nests.
• Griffon vulture is one of the species proven to suffer most from wind energy development. For this reason, the National Action Plan for scavenging bird species (Ministerial Decision 68086/2149/09-08-2021, Greek Government Gazette B’3663) provides for sensitivity zones for Griffon vulture, within which the installation of new wind turbines is excluded. The WPS “ANGELIKOULA” was planned within this sensitivity zone and in fact in close proximity to nine recorded nesting sites.
• The area of Thracian Meteora and the Komsatos Valley in general, is an extremely important habitat for the Egyptian and the Griffon vultures and rare protected birds of prey that either nest or pass through the area. Especially after the last year’s catastrophic fire in Evros and Rhodope, with its incalculable consequences for protected birds and their ecosystems, Komsatos Valley and the other areas adjacent to the burnt areas (Natura 2000 and Important Bird Areas) are particularly vulnerable to pressures such as wind energy projects. For this reason, last October, nine environmental organisations sent a joint letter to the Minister of Environment and Energy asking for a suspension of the licensing procedures WPSs in these areas for at least three years. You can see the joint letter here.
• You can see the area where the WPS "ANGELIKOULA" was planned to be installed in the WWF Greece documentary "Meteora of the North" here.