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The Minister of Environment Tina Birbili said for journalists that the new saving energy regulation and the ordinance for appointing energy auditors, will be prepared before the holidays.

After the meeting in Copenhagen we are expecting that serious decisions will be made and all countries will make an agreement, in order to create trust among the citizens, said Mrs. Birbili. She said that after the meeting a ministerial level attempt will be made for cooperation among the Mediterranean countries so that financial help can be given for adjusting to climate changes, because those countries will be affected the most.

Greece will fulfill all criteria, in order to achieve the EC goal 20-20-20 until 2020, which includes 20% reduction of harmful emissions, 20% saving energy and 20% participation of renewable energy sources in the energy balance. Besides this Greece needs to report all its forests, because this is the way to find out how much carbon dioxide they take.

By the end of this year Greece needs to submit a plan for the execution of 20-20-20 and until June, 2010 a detailed plan for action needs to be ready.

In the near future the changing of old lignite units in the Greek electrical company will start and they will be exchanged for new ones. To change of each one of them requires 4-5 years. The Ministry has taken the necessary measures to reduce air pollution in Kozani, where the power plant is. Few days ago the harmful particles in the air reached Thessaloniki and the atmosphere in Kozani and Ptolemaida was unbearable. People from the ministry promised they have taken measures for this never to happen again. By the end of January deadlines will be given for renovating the power plant.

Minister Birbili and deputy Minister Yannis Manyatis noted that problems were found in the financial distributing system of the program National Strategic Framework, which had given €823 million. More specifically no means were connected to energy and preserving the environment, which means that money will be taken from other programs but it will take more time.

Finally Mrs. Birbili noted that in cooperation with other competent ministries from next year she will start discussions in order to review the way electric bills are calculated and to lower the tax paid to the national radio television.