The Forest Department has issued an out-of-court fine to the organizers of the Cyprus International Rally. The out-of-court settlement was issued because a rally was organized in a state forest in June, in violation of the relevant legislation. As the director of the Forest Department, Takis Tsintidis, explained, it is prohibited by law to hold rallies in state forests during the months of June, July and August. The reason for the ban is the increased risk of fires.
Regarding the crossing of the Rally through Cape Greco, the Director of the Forest Department stated that no permission was given and that measures had been taken in case of a fire. "An aircraft was supervising the area for better control," Mr. Tsintidis explained.
Watch videos from the route to Cape Greco:
However, the Movement of Environmentalists, in an announcement, raises a series of questions about the conditions under which the Rally was ensured in the area of Cape Greco.
"Despite the rejection of the request of the organizers to hold the race, and despite the fact that no relevant permit had been issued, the rally was held normally. After the intervention of the Ecologists 'Movement - Citizens' Cooperation to the Department of Forests, they reiterated that no permit had been issued to the organizers and now all the Department could do was issue a cost assessment report of the area and request a relevant compensation from the organizers.
In fact, the non-competence of the Department in ensuring the non-conduct of an illegal race within the Natura 2000 area was declared ", the Ecologists note.
The Movement wonders, how is it possible to hold the rally, when the request of the organizers to the Department of Forests has been rejected? I also ask whether the Director of the Department of Forests and the Minister of Agriculture were aware of the illegality and if so why - at best - did they tolerate it? "What does Mr. Kougialis intend to do to take responsibility for the illegality, but also to repair the damage to the natural environment?" Ecologists state in their announcement.
Source: Liberal