The Lack of ex officio prosecution of environmental crime in NATURA 2000 areas of Crete constitutes an administrational problem leading to an environmental problem. Unprosecuted crime allows the wide ranged environmental degradation in the protected areas.

According to the Nr 1/2009 circular sent on the 05.02.2008 from the state prosecutor of the Supreme Court George Sanidas, some inquisition clerks hesitate to proceed to research and seizures within a preliminary investigation.

The special law provisions applicable for protected species or habitats are not really familiar to the inquisition clerks. Environmental liability is not prosecuted ex officio. In order to provide awareness in combating environmental crime, inquisition clerks (policemen, forest rangers, port officials, regional and municipal clerks), the State Prosecutors and the Judges will be supported from the Law Observatories of the respective Bar Associations in comprehending environmental degradation as an autonomous criminal area, in overviewing the environmental cases and in familiarizing with prosecution.