Millions of property owners across the country are working feverishly to clean their plots and take the necessary fire protection measures. Following the extension of the deadlines (June 21 for buildings near and within forests and June 30 for plot cleanings), and warnings about a “difficult summer” regarding fires, owners, often out of fear of fines, go overboard, even uprooting trees from their properties to avoid dealing with plot cleaning later.
In a letter to the Minister of Environment and Energy, Th. Skylakakis, the president of the Neos Voutzas Beautification Association “Progress,” Emy Krokidi, describes a “campaign of eliminating natural vegetation by some unscrupulous owners.” Krokidi explains that because the circulars sent to local authorities do not provide for fines for destroying natural vegetation, “out of fear that they will be fined if they do not keep their plots clean throughout the fire season, they hire cleaning crews with bulldozers that uproot everything from wild olives and lentisk to young pines or anything else nature tends to grow in our beleaguered land. The result is truly tragic! The literally ‘shaved’ plots multiply rapidly, turning our settlement into a barren land.”
Naturally, this “last-minute frenzy” for plot cleanings has increased or even doubled the prices of the crews or workers who undertake them. It is worth noting that if properties are within planned areas, within settlements, or outside planned areas with buildings constructed under a building permit, the cutting of trees is done with the issuance of a small-scale construction work approval.
The minister has stated that the goal is not fines for the obligated owners but “to have a fire protection technical report and some basic cleanings around these properties this year.” Technical scientists who handle the declarations have already started working.
Authorized scientists, including engineers (surveyors, architects, civil engineers, mechanical engineers, environmental engineers, etc.) as well as foresters, agronomists, or geotechnical scientists, prepare the study, which includes the assessment of the property’s risk, the drafting of a technical report of measures and actions, and the declaration of their implementation by the property owner.
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The Cost
It is reminded that for the current fire season, only preventive fire protection measures apply. This means that property owners will not have to spend significantly unless you consider the fee of the technical scientist (averaging 400 to 500 euros) and the costs for cutting vegetation and removing flammable materials. Currently, technical reports and compliance declarations are submitted to the respective municipalities since the relevant platform has not yet opened – expected soon. In contrast, for unclean plots, declarations are submitted electronically on the platform of the National Registry of Preventive Fire Protection Measures, at akatharista.apps.gov.gr, and on the website of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, civilprotection.gov.gr.
Regarding Fines
Failure to submit the risk assessment form and the technical report incurs a fine of 0.10 euros per sq.m. for low-risk properties, 0.20 euros per sq.m. for medium-risk, 0.30 euros per sq.m. for high-risk, and 0.40 euros per sq.m. for extremely high-risk properties. The minimum fine is 250 euros and is imposed after a recommendation for the fire protection technical report and the declaration of measures implementation.
After a two-month compliance deadline, if compliance is observed, only the 250-euro fine is imposed. If the declarations and reports have been submitted but the measures have not been implemented, the fine is 50% of the prescribed fines per sq.m. If no compliance actions have been taken, the fine is 100%.
For errors found during the inspection, a 250-euro fine is imposed if not corrected within a two-month period. If the fire protection measures have not been implemented, a 500-euro fine is imposed for each set of measures.
