Following the publication of the Ombudsman's report finding that the fire protection law for real estate is unconstitutional and unenforceable, a number of engineers and citizens have sharply criticized the government and warned that the new decree confiscating real estate will be appealed to the Council of State.
It is noted that the Ombudsman concluded that “The government imposes excessive costs on citizens that threaten the right to property.” The unfair, illogical and totalitarian law was one of the reasons why thousands of voters “New Democracy” didn't vote for her in these European elections.
This is a resolution adopted by a joint ministerial decision (ΚΥΑ) of the Ministers of Environment and Energy, Interior, Climate Crisis and Civil Defense, which requires property owners to comply with a variety of requirements under the pretext “mandatory measures”for which each owner will have to pay up to 28,000 eurosregardless of whether he is… a “Rockefeller” or not.
Unthinkable fines
If the owner does not comply with the requirements, he faces fines of 1,000 euros, which can reach 54,000 euros, or even imprisonment for two years. In other words, “If you don't have the money to tidy up your property the way we tell you to, we'll just take it away.” And then this government pretends that it cannot understand why citizens turned away from it in the European elections the day before yesterday.
Questions of constitutionality have already been raised by citizens' lawyer Andreas Pottakis in a letter addressed to the competent ministers, in which he, among other things, requests “exempt existing properties from the application of specific provisions.”
It is no coincidence that after a strong reaction, the political leadership of the Ministry of the Environment temporarily lifted the stern, saying that what was most important this year “cleaning and trimming” and not other measures provided for by the EIA. But next year? Will they come back asking for the same absurd measures? After all, if someone doesn’t have 30,000 euros this year, then they won’t have them next year either.
The new regulation stipulates that from this year's fire season (which began on May 1) all owners of buildings, from barns to residential buildings, on land located within or within 300 meters of forests, woodlands and meadows, suburban green spaces or declared reforestation outside or within the plan, must order a risk assessment report for their building and a technical report from specialist engineers, which will include the fire protection measures they must take based on the specific regulation.
Owners must subsequently implement these measures and provide written confirmation to the relevant municipality that they have done so. Fire protection for real estate is another example of how important any government reshuffle is. Even if the minister who issued this regulation changes, will the next minister revoke it? Or citizens will have to pay lawyers to go to the Council of Europe and prove that the government, in violating constitution, trying to take over their property?
What is surprising about all this is the attitude of the media.
Just a few days ago, none of them reported anything about fire protection of real estate and did not inform citizens, with the exception of several publications, including Athens Newswhich published a series of articles on this topic.
When they did mention it, they presented it as something good for Greek real estate and its protection. They didn't mention that they would have to win the lottery to do this, and if they didn't, they would be punished with hefty fines or even jail time.
Remember what happens with unpaid fines: they go to the IRS, then the IRS recognizes them as a debt to the government, and then anyone who doesn't have to pay them (and they won't) simply has their property taken away. Because, unfortunately, many residents of Greece (as well as property owners living abroad) are not at all interested in the laws of the country…
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PS Some property owners realized the gravity of the situation only before the elections, when they began to receive orders from the authorities with the threat of fines. A good friend of the author of the publication, with a note of panic in her voice, reported that she had received an order to immediately remove all dry grass on her plot of land, which is located near Athens. Otherwise, she faces a large fine.
At the same time, the company engaged in such work demanded at least 1,500 euros from the woman.
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