Environment and Public Works Minister Giorgos Souflias said yesterday he was angry at the high incidence of Greek violations of EU environmental legislation, which cause the country to be frequently referred to the European Court by the Commission, particularly concerning waste landfills, and promised that the situation will change. Speaking at the Fifth Heleco International Exhibition and Conference on Environmental Technology at the Helexpo fair center in Maroussi, he said the country has a final deadline of 2008 to close all 1,300 unofficial landfills and the ministry is planning official sites in all 13 regions of the country. He urged municipalities to stop opposing such plans and help to find solutions. Furthermore, he blamed previous governments for the fact that despite a great deal of money spent, the waste-treatment plant on the islet of Psyttaleia, off the Attica coast, is still without a sludge-drying unit and the ministry is expediting a solution. The Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) is holding a forum on “Technology Platform for Research and Technology in the Construction Sector, focusing on Sustainable Construction and the Protection of the Cultural Heritage,” as part of the exhibition on Saturday.