Dozens of Attica’s busiest beaches were deemed unsuitable for swimming in recent tests by the Panhellenic Center for Ecological Research, according to an announcement issued this week, but the findings conflict with official Greek and European assessments of bathing water quality.
The results differ from data published by Greece’s Environment Ministry on the website bathingwaterprofiles.gr under a European Union directive, and from a report released last week by the European Environment Agency, which ranked Greece second in the EU for water cleanliness based on samples from 1,734 bathing sites.
PAKOE has published bathing water measurements for more than 20 years, often prompting disputes with municipalities. Local authorities, the Central Union of Municipalities and public agencies have questioned the organization’s methods and findings.
Konstantinos Allagiannis, mayor of Markopoulo Mesogaias, said tests conducted by the municipality at Porto Rafti and the Avlaki municipal beach showed very good results. Environment Ministry officials advise the public to rely on the ministry’s monitoring program, which uses certified laboratories and standardized protocols. The ministry says samples are collected approximately every 20 days.
