After the reports published by protothema.gr and the mobilisation of institutional authorities to halt the ecological crime on the protected beach of Mytakas in Milos, the case of the under-construction White Coast hotel complex has entered the familiar phase of a “blame game.” The Municipality of Milos, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, urban planning services, and others are now directly or indirectly blaming one another for the delays in taking the necessary measures. Meanwhile, the slow response of the competent authorities allowed the company owning White Coast to proceed at a frenetic pace with the expansion of the existing facilities.

Yesterday, Tuesday 27 January 2026, the Council of State intervened by issuing a temporary injunction for the immediate suspension of works in Mytakas, Milos. This action followed the initiative of the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, who was the first to react to the revealing reports of protothema.gr, announcing a set of three decisive measures aimed at immediately stopping the destruction of the natural environment in Mytakas.

At the same time, the Municipality of Milos, through a statement by the mayor on Tuesday 27 January, released a timeline of the actions it has taken so far regarding White Coast. Among other points, it states that the municipality had timely informed the local Urban Planning Service, which was obliged to impose an immediate ban on the operation of the Mytakas construction site, initially on a temporary basis for at least 60 days as provided by law, until the Council of State issued its ruling. The mayor of Milos also places responsibility on the Ministry of Environment and Energy, claiming that for months it ignored repeated requests for meetings, planning and coordination of actions.

Today, however, a working meeting is scheduled between the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Mayor of Milos, Manolis Mikélis, focusing on the planning of future joint actions, not only regarding Mytakas but also with the broader goal of strengthening environmental protection on the island.

Below are the announcement of the Council of State’s intervention to halt the expansion works of White Coast, as well as the timeline of actions taken so far by the Municipality of Milos.

The Intervention of the Council of State

By temporary order of the President of the Fifth Chamber of the Council of State, Christos Doukhanis, the following measures are imposed:

a) Suspension of execution of Decision No. 21704/05.08.2024 approving environmental terms issued by the Decentralised Administration of the Aegean, concerning the expansion of a hotel accommodation in the settlement of Mytakas, Municipal Community of Triovasalos, Milos.

b) Suspension of construction works based on the relevant building permit, which was valid until 31.12.2025, even if a revision of the permit has been issued extending its validity.

It is recalled that prior to the issuance of the temporary order by Mr Doukhanis, the decision of the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, to immediately suspend construction works at the White Coast hotel had already been announced.

The temporary suspension remains in force until a ruling is issued on the application for suspension submitted by the Municipality of Milos through its lawyer, Vasilis Papadimitriou. The application was filed jointly by the Municipality of Milos and three citizens.

According to the Council of State announcement, the application was submitted on 31/12/2025, the date on which the building permit expired, and after construction works had already been carried out.

Actions Taken by the Ministry of Environment and Energy

Regarding potential violations of environmental and urban planning legislation related to the building permit for the hotel under construction in the “Mytakas” area of Milos, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, following instructions from Minister Stavros Papastavrou and Deputy Minister Nikos Tagaras, carried out the following actions:

1. Submitted a report to the National Transparency Authority to investigate potential illegality in the issuance of the building permit.
2. Sent a document to the Municipality of Milos:

A. Requesting that all necessary measures be taken to halt all construction works, in accordance with Presidential Decree 18/89 (Articles 52 and 52A). If an annulment application is submitted to the Council of State, the competent authority—in this case, the Municipality of Milos—may immediately order the suspension of execution of the contested permit.

B. Until the full investigation of the legality of the building permit by the National Transparency Authority and the Council of State, where annulment and suspension applications are pending, it is deemed imperative to immediately halt works that could be detrimental to the island’s natural environment.

The Ministry of Environment and Energy is proceeding with the completion of the Special Urban Planning Plan for the Western Cyclades, which includes Milos, and will definitively set the building regulations for the island.

The Position of the Mayor of Milos

“Following the recent reports concerning the White Coast hotel complex in the Mytakas area and in order to avoid misleading impressions, the Municipality of Milos considers it necessary to responsibly inform citizens about the continuous, documented and institutional actions it has taken from 2023 to the present.

The Municipality of Milos has never been inactive. On the contrary, it has acted promptly, repeatedly and through every lawful means, with the sole aim of protecting the natural environment, legality and the public interest.

Timeline of Key Actions by the Municipality of Milos:

December 2023
The Municipal Committee for Environment and Quality of Life issues a negative opinion on the issuance of building permits for large tourist accommodations on the island, noting that the preparation and approval of the Milos spatial plan (SCHOOAP) is underway.

January 2024
The Municipal Council of Milos unanimously issues a negative decision on the Environmental Impact Study for the White Coast project, a five-star hotel unit with a total capacity of 271 beds.

2024–2025
The Municipality sends a series of documents and requests to the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Decentralised Administration of the Aegean, the South Aegean Region, the Milos Urban Planning Service, the Piraeus Public Property Service, and other competent authorities, requesting:

• review of the legality of administrative acts
• environmental and urban planning inspections
• inspection of shoreline, beach and public access
• compliance checks with wildlife refuge protection terms
• suspension of construction works

Spring–Summer 2025
The Municipality reiterates requests for on-site inspections by environmental and urban planning inspectors, requesting the full licensing file and verification of the project’s actual data.

June 2025
A request is submitted for the suspension of all construction works in protected zones until the completion of Milos’ urban planning process.

October 2025
By mayoral decision, following the commencement of expansion works, the Municipality assigns legal representation for the immediate filing of a suspension request and interim measures.

December 2025
As no competent authority had suspended the works, the Municipality turns to the National Transparency Authority, which proceeds—within its mandate—with reports assigning responsibility regarding the building permits.

January 2026
The Municipality of Milos formally requests the Urban Planning Service to suspend the building permit for at least sixty (60) days, until the Council of State rules on the suspension application submitted by the Municipality.

At the same time, the Mayor of Milos has repeatedly requested an in-person meeting with the Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr Stavros Papastavrou, to present in detail the facts of the case, the Municipality’s actions and the serious environmental and urban planning implications of the project—without such a meeting having taken place to date.

The Municipality of Milos:

• does not accept interventions that irreversibly alter the natural environment
• acts exclusively within the institutional and legal framework
• exhausts every administrative and judicial remedy
• continues unwaveringly until the full investigation of the case

The recent suspension of works and activation of inspection mechanisms are the result of a long-term, documented and institutional effort, not a reaction of convenience.

Milos is neither a field of arbitrariness nor a place for uncontrolled interventions.

The Municipal Authority will continue to defend the environment, legality, the character of the island, and citizens’ right to the truth.

With transparency. With persistence. With institutional responsibility.

Manolis Mikélis
Mayor of Milos