On December 10, 2024, during the Meetings of the Parties to the Espoo Convention and its Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment held in Geneva, George Kremlis, already serving as Chair of the Convention’s Executive Committee, was also elected as Chair of the Protocol’s Executive Committee.
The Espoo Convention governs the environmental assessment of transboundary impacts of projects across its 46 member states, while the Protocol oversees the strategic environmental assessment of plans and programs. Greece has ratified both the Convention and the Protocol.
Mr. Kremlis’s election is a significant achievement for Greece, highlighting the importance of these agreements. These multilateral treaties apply to a wide range of projects, including nuclear power plants, ports, highways, pipelines, energy projects, factories, and renewable energy installations.
They serve as tools for circular spatial planning—both terrestrial and marine—facilitating energy and green transitions aimed at climate neutrality. They are crucial in developing climate-resilient infrastructure and will contribute to the rational and circular reconstruction of Ukraine, a member state of the Convention.
Furthermore, they hold particular significance concerning the EU Taxonomy Regulation, which governs green projects and financing, especially regarding the climate assessment of licensed projects for resilience to the climate crisis throughout their lifecycle.