EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL FOR SPELEOTOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN GREECE factors and elements that are interacting and affecting the ecological balance, quality of life, residents’ health, as well as the historical and cultural traditions and aesthetic values. According to Article 2 par 5 of the above-mentioned law “all actions, measures and projects aiming at the prevention of the environmental degradation or restoration, maintenance or improvement” are considered as environmental protection. Furthermore, according to Article 19, par 4 (as amended by article 5, par 5b) of Law 3937/2011 on the conservation of biodiversity (Gov. Gazette A’60), which includes the criteria and principles of environmental protection, caves are included in the protected natural formations. The article stipulates that caves are included in the protected natural formations: “b) As protected natural formations are considered the components of nature or its individual creations, that have particular scientific, ecological, geological, geomorphological, or aesthetic value or contribute to the preservation of natural processes and the protection of natural resources such as trees, stands of trees and bushes, water, protective vegetation, riparian and coastal vegetation, natural fences, waterfalls, springs, canyons, dunes, reefs, caves, rocks, petrified forests, trees or portions thereof, paleontological findings, coral, geomorphological formations, geotopes (geotopes are considered by law, geological- -geomorphological structures that are natural formations and represent important moments in the geological history of the earth, are important witnesses of its long evolution or demonstrate modern natural, geological processes that continue to evolve on the surface) and priority habitats of Community interest. The same article stipulates that the protected natural formations that have monumental character are specifically characterized as “Protected natural monuments”. The inclusion of caves in the protected natural formations is based on the categorization of Article 18, par 2 and 3 of Law 1650/1986 and indicates the intention of the legislation body to provide protection for natural formations (which include caves). Article 21 of Law 1650/1986 (and later article 6, Law 3937/2011, Gov. Gazette A’60) provides for the procedure for the characterization of areas, elements or sets of nature and landscape. However, the procedure for the issuance of the Presidential Decree for the characterization is particularly long and complex because of the necessity of drafting a specific environmental study and because of the involvement of many institutions. Law 3997/2011 also prohibits, in accordance with the more specific protecting provisions of the characterization decision, actions or activities that may cause destruction, damage or deterioration of protected natural formations, as well as protected landscapes or their individual components.
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