Today in the Plenary the Minister of State for Countering the Effects of Climate Change

The main reforms concern:

1. in the transfer of the responsibilities for the waters of Thessaly that belonged to multiple bodies to the “Thessalian Water Management Organization Public Limited Company”,

2. in the possibility of transferring the responsibility for rainwater, which is currently under the management of individual municipalities, to EYDAP and EYATH in the respective areas of responsibility of each, so that they operate as a single entity

3. to the major reform in forest management. The aim is to start the active management of Greek forests and above all those forest ecosystems in southern Greece, which are most vulnerable to the climate crisis, so that the quantities of flammable excess biomass can begin to be removed.

4. in the immediate mass mobilization of forest workers and machinery, with the creation of a system of activation of the Forestry Labor Cooperatives for the creation of large fire protection zones, in case of large forest fires

5. to radically reform the system of monitoring the built environment, identifying and demolishing arbitrary constructions.

With this reform, demolitions are prioritized for the first time and all new arbitrary buildings are prioritized, as well as a significant number of older arbitrary ones that are selected according to urban planning, spatial planning and environmental criteria.

6. The “Apollo” Program is established to reduce the energy costs of vulnerable households, Local Self-Governing Organizations of the first and second degree, Local and General Organizations of Sanitary Improvements and Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Companies across the Territory.

7. Measures are established to increase the available electrical space, with the aim of increasing the penetration of Renewable Energy Sources and reducing the cost of electricity.

8. Strict measures against power theft and strategic non-payment of electricity bills are established, with the aim of reducing the burdens on the average consumer from these phenomena.

9. Provisions of the New Building Regulations are improved and clarified. The objectives of the regulation are, on the one hand, to ensure that the environmentally favorable provisions of the NOK are not lost horizontally, given that it is perhaps the only law of the State that motivates the implementation of constructions with a high energy rating, and on the other hand, to ensure that the permitted building factor does not alter the special characteristics of the regions.

Specifically, in areas with a building factor of up to 0.8, the additional height in buildings will be up to 2 meters. In areas with a building factor of 0.8 to 1.6 the additional height will reach up to 2.5 meters and in areas with a building factor greater than 1.6 the additional building height can reach up to 3 meters.

The Ministry’s relevant regulation, which will be transitional until the approval of the country’s Local Urban Planning Plans, which is expected around the end of 2025, will not horizontally cancel the current NOK, but will provide for the gradual restriction per region and case.

The government representative also referred to the “Aegis” weapons program

Yesterday, the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, presented the development of the “AEGIS” equipment program worth 2.1 billion euros, in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The program includes, among other things, air and ground means of dealing with natural disasters, 7 Canadairs, 10 medium-type helicopters, 25 amphibious single-engine aircraft, 1100 firefighting vehicles, etc., equipment and operational coordination support means, i.e. 3 medium-type helicopters, 3 aerial aircraft surveillance, 3 medium-type helicopters, 1 twin-engine aircraft, 101 drones, mobile operations centers.

Also, warning systems and means of prevention, such as the national database, artificial intelligence, fire detection and extinguishing systems, meteorological stations and radars, upgrading of 112 with the integration of new technologies, etc. as well as upgrading infrastructure and facilities.

The Minister announced that within 9 months, tenders with a budget of 1.5 billion euros were announced, while projects worth another 320 million will be announced until the end of May, bringing the amount to 1.82 billion euros, and before August AEGIS will be completed in whole of it. The delivery of the projects will start from 2025.

During his speech, the Prime Minister, referring to the climate crisis, emphasized that: “These are extreme phenomena of the time, which, however, mean only one thing: nothing, but nothing, will be like yesterday. And that it is our obligation to adapt to the new conditions. Above all, however, let us realize that prevention, repression and rehabilitation – where it is needed – now become a necessary tripartite, always having as a sacred priority the protection of human life”.

He also pointed out that “There is no room for inaction, nor is there room for criminal indifference. As much as possible, we have done our best so that this summer finds us as prepared as possible. With more firefighters, with new forest firefighters, who have the ability to intervene in the fire.”

We were committed from the very first moment that we faced such phenomena, such as last year’s mega-fires, that we must be more and more ready every year.

In any case, it is not possible to say from one moment to the next that we can deal with every phenomenon. But we can confidently say that we have been strengthened in manpower, fire fighting means and preventive measures.