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, theĀ Interministerial Committee for Strategic InvestmentsĀ headed by Development and Competitiveness Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, statedĀ that it will be legalized under fast-track procedures for strategic investments.
The Interministerial Committee for Strategic Investments has included theĀ 75,000 square meter building which is considered to be “Europe’s largest unlicensed structure” in the legislationĀ forĀ future investments.
The construction of the shopping center,Ā 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 ofĀ Greece.Ā The decision of the Interministerial Committee for Strategic Investments givesĀ the opportunity to the owner company,Ā Lamda Development, controlled by Greek tycoon Spiro Latsis notĀ to pay a single euro in fines for the illegal construction.
According to the State Council noĀ environmental survey was conducted before its constructionĀ 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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