Parliamentary Question by Christodoulakis–Doudounis–Nikitiadis on the Uncontrolled Waste Disposal in Leros
PASOK MPs Manolis Christodoulakis (as Head of the Parliamentary Sector for the Environment), Panagiotis Doudounis (as Head of the Internal Affairs Sector), and Giorgos Nikitiadis (as MP for the Dodecanese) have submitted a joint parliamentary question to the Ministers of Environment & Energy and Interior concerning the serious and recurring environmental degradation on the island of Leros due to uncontrolled waste disposal. The question was officially submitted on Wednesday, June 25.
According to the content of the question, the construction project for the Residue Landfill (XYTY), composting unit, and waste transfer station (WTS), with a total budget exceeding €4.6 million, was designed and integrated into the EU-funded NSRF program (ESPA) based on approved technical studies since 2020. However, it remains mired in bureaucratic stagnation. The tendering process was launched only in 2023 by the South Aegean Waste Management Agency and is still pending in the National Electronic Public Procurement System (ESIDIS), with no visible progress in construction.
As of 2025, waste management in Leros continues to rely on baling — a temporary and unsustainable practice that fails to meet both European directives and common sense. Simultaneously, illegal waste dumping continues in a restored uncontrolled landfill (ΧΑΔΑ), violating Directive 2008/98/EC and national law.
Local organizations have also filed serious complaints about illegal interventions at the future landfill site, including unauthorized clearing, soil displacement, and other actions that contravene the approved Environmental Terms Approval Decision (AEPO), putting both the project’s viability and its funding at risk.
The PASOK MPs are asking the responsible Ministers the following:
- What are the reasons for the delay in starting the project, despite the tendering process being completed? What specific obstacles are holding back the commencement of construction?
- What immediate measures do they plan to take to protect the environment and public health on the island, to halt the uncontrolled waste disposal and ensure proper waste management?
- How will they address the recent allegations of illegal clearing and earthworks at the XYTY site, which jeopardize environmental safety and the project’s viability?
- Is there a timeline for completing the procurement process and starting construction? When is the full operation of the XYTY and related facilities expected?
