Disputes between property owners, municipal authorities and the Ministries of Environment and Climate Crisis continue well. At the heart of this is the obligation of owners to firstly implement the Fire Protection Regulations if their properties are in or near woodland, and secondly to clear and maintain undeveloped plots of land they own within the urban fabric. Thus, they are trapped in a double bind, with the costs they have to bear being in many cases enormous and reaching tens of thousands of euros.
“To Vima” answers seven questions about the obligations, costs and problems of implementing fire protection measures for citizens.
1. What are the deadlines for the implementation of the Fire Protection Regulation?
Owners of existing buildings located in or near forests and woodlands have another 20 days (ie until May 10) to submit a risk assessment form and technical report to avoid the prescribed fines. Also, a declaration of implementation of the fire safety measures must be submitted by June 10. The extension given by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEPEN) is not enough and, as the president of the Panhellenic Federation of Real Estate Owners (POMIDA), Stratos Paradias, states in “Vima”, another one should be given, as there are many ambiguities and they are required clarifications.
2. What is the cost to owners?
The cost for the technical report is around 400-500 euros. However, according to Mr. Paradia, the clear definition of the professional categories that will have the right to draft them is pending. As he points out, the big financial burden will be in the implementation of what the technical report proposes, which in some cases can exceed 100,000 euros. “If the report suggests that a concrete paddock should be built, if it wants to change the roof, the shutters, the screens to be fireproof, the costs skyrocket. Also, to cut down trees you need a permit, otherwise we’ll be at Autoforo” he emphasizes himself.
3. How much are the fines?
In case of non-submission of the risk assessment form and the technical report, a fine is imposed in proportion to the area of the property and its risk category. E.g. for particularly high-risk properties, a fine of 0.50 euros per square meter is imposed. In any case, it cannot be less than 250 euros. If mistakes are found in the drafting of the form or in the selection of the fire protection measures of the report, a recommendation is made and in case of non-compliance a fine of 250 euros is imposed. If it is found that the prescribed fire protection measures have not been implemented, a fine of 500 euros is imposed for each unit of measures (preventive, passive, active).
4. What applies to this year’s fire season?
This year, the Building Fire Protection Regulation will be applied to buildings only for preventive fire protection measures. That is, regular cleaning of the vegetation and the irrigation system, cutting branches that touch or are at a short distance from the external structural elements of the building, ensuring clear access to the property, drawing up an evacuation preparation plan, designing perimeter protection zones around the building, etc.
5. Who is responsible for the audit?
The municipalities have shouldered the responsibility of implementing the measures and control without ensuring, as the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE) complains, the necessary resources and the required staff.
6. What about undeveloped plots?
The owners, tenants, usufructuary and lessees of undeveloped plots within the urban fabric have the obligation to clean them and they must submit a responsible declaration for the fulfillment of the fire protection obligations of their properties to the Ministry’s National Register of Compliance with Preventive Fire Protection Measures of Properties by April 30. Climate Crisis, otherwise a fine of 1,000 euros is imposed. Against those who falsely state that they have cleared their plots, a prison sentence of up to two years and a fine of up to 54,000 euros is provided.
7. What happens if they don’t clean them?
The municipalities take over, after they get a public prosecutor’s order to enter the plot. However, as the mayor of Varis-Voulas-Vouliagmenis and 1st vice-president of KEDE, Mr. Grigoris Konstandelos, states in “Vima”, the cost is high. “Last year, the municipality took us 90,000 euros for fire protection and we spent 1,075,000 euros. Only the deforestation of 3,500 acres (undeveloped plots that have no owner, shared, public benefit, creation of fire zones at the end of the city) cost 245,000 euros. Last year, in our municipality, around 150 undeveloped plots that were the most dangerous were deforested and another 700 were not deforested. If we did them all, we would need another 100,000 euros. In order to get the money back from the citizens, we may have to wait even five years.”
The controls
There are very few municipalities that have set up control committees for compliance with the Fire Protection Regulation, while at least in Attica, almost no citizen has submitted a file on the implementation of fire safety measures.
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