The ongoing dispute over the “burial fee” imposed by the Special Intermunicipal Association of Attica has sparked significant tension between local governments, the Attica Regional Authority, and the central government. 

A “burial fee” refers to the cost charged to municipalities for disposing of waste in landfills. The fee is typically calculated based on the amount of waste buried.

“Burial fees” are intended to encourage recycling and waste reduction by making landfill disposal more expensive. In Athens these fees have faced widespread criticism for their financial burden on municipalities and lack of transparency. 

On December 27, the Special Intermunicipal Association of Attica announced a significant increase in burial fees for the 66 municipalities in Attica. The cost was set to rise from €93 million in 2024 to €203 million in 2025, covering an 18-month period. 

However, strong opposition from the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece and 164 municipalities led to legal challenges. The Council of State is now deliberating on the matter. 

Then on January 15, the Special Intermunicipal Association of Attica’s Executive Committee, following an urgent meeting and a directive from Attica Regional Governor Nikos Hardalias, revoked its decision to collect the burial fee pending the Council of State ruling.

Governor Hardalias intervened after discovering discrepancies in the 2025 budget of the Hellenic Recycling Organization. Correspondence between the General Accounting Office and the Ministry of Environment revealed that €119 million in burial fees had not been allocated in the Hellenic Recycling Organization’s budget, prompting the General Accounting Office to demand its removal. This revelation further fueled criticism of the fee’s implementation and lack of transparency.

Additionally, €32 million from previous burial fees remains unaccounted for, raising questions about the management of these funds.

Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis critiqued this move, stating: “The landfill fee was introduced as a disincentive to landfill waste and as an incentive for recycling and rational waste management. That is the purpose and it is something that is also a product of cheques, outside of Greece. European imperatives and I think that makes sense. The interpretation given by the Region of Attica on this issue, we believe as a Government, that it is incorrect, arbitrary and does not correspond to the legislative framework.”

Hardalias, however, defended his actions, accusing local governments of populism and failing to propose concrete solutions. “They avoid to admit that the Special Intermunicipal Association of Attica, for the last 10 years, has been facing basic structural problems of operation for which it needs to take specific initiatives immediately, for which they have nothing to propose. They fail to admit that – as has been demonstrated in the recent past – even the collection and reimbursement of the burial fee was not done in the right way by the Special Intermunicipal Association of Attica, an issue on which we do not intend to remain indifferent and we are waiting for the findings of the audit authorities.”

Hardalias has pledged a “holistic management plan” for waste in Attica, promising transparency and collaboration with stakeholders to address the region’s waste management challenges

Critics of the fees, including Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, argue that despite high fees, most waste in Greece still ends up in landfills, with Greek recycling rates at a dismal 16%. Doukas has called for a comprehensive waste management plan that prioritizes recycling and sustainability over reliance on landfill disposal.

Municipalities have welcomed  the Special Intermunicipal Association of Attica’s decision to revoke the fee, describing it as a victory for local governments and citizens. Local mayors such as  Theodoros Ampatzoglou of Amaroussi and Tina Kafatsaki of Zografou have called for the fee’s permanent abolition and urged the government to explore sustainable waste management solutions funded through European resources.