Illegally Built Athens Mall to be Legalized

Although the State Council had announced that the construction of “The Mall Athens” — the biggest shopping center in the Balkans — is illegal and unconstitutional, the Greek government found a way to legalize it. More specifically, the Interministerial Committee for Strategic Investments headed by Development and Competitiveness Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, stated that it will be legalized under fast-track procedures for strategic investments. The Interministerial Committee for Strategic Investments has included the 75,000 square meter building which is considered to be “Europe’s largest unlicensed structure” in the legislation for future investments. The construction of the shopping center, located in the northern Athens suburb of Marousi, had caused widespread reactions due to size, location and the conditions of its construction. However, the government has included it in the legislation for future strategic investments of Greece. The decision of the Interministerial Committee for Strategic Investments gives the opportunity to the owner company, Lamda Development, controlled by Greek tycoon Spiro Latsis not to pay a single euro in fines for the illegal construction. According to the State Council no environmental survey was conducted before its construction while the court also discovered a number of urban planning violations and omissions regarding construction, which go against Greek and European legislation.

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