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- Ελληνικά
The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Dr Maria Panayiotou, after the Cabinet meeting, made the following statements to journalists:
"The Cabinet of Ministers today approved the submission to the House of Representatives of six amended bills:
a) Forestry (Amendment) Law of 2024,
b) Prevention and Suppression of Rural Fires Law of 2024,
c) Communities (Amendment) (No. 4) Law of 2024,
d) Municipalities (Amendment) (No. 5) Law of 2024,
d) Municipalities (Amendment) (No. 5) Act of 2024,
e) Municipalities (Amendment) (No. 2) Act of 2024,
f) Penal Code (Amendment) (No. 2) Act of 2024.
The bills are revised, modernized and tightened in their provisions in order to enhance fire prevention.
Some general elements, which these bills include are that:
- the legal framework is revised and modernized,
- new offences are added,
- there is a universal separation of offences into offences of endangerment and offences with effect and offences without intent but due to reckless or negligent action, conduct or neglect to take the necessary precautions,
- there is an identification of penalties in different laws, so that there is no different treatment of the same or similar offences under different laws, depending on the place where they occur.
It should be said that the Forestry Law, which was updated and tightened in 2018, was the basis for the changes in these six bills, but always in accordance with what was provided for in the criminal code.
Note that the Forestry Act added the obligation for the person who caused the fire to pay all or part of the amount spent to suppress the fire, in addition to the penalty to be decided by the Court.
With the changes made in the Courts there is now the possibility of out-of-court settlement in laws other than the Forestry Act. Until now only the Forestry Act had this possibility of out-of-court settlement. Out-of-court settlements relate to offences and the amounts provided for vary according to the period of time in which they occur. It is clarified that out-of-court settlements are entered provided that no damage is caused to a forest or woodland or real estate, since if it is caused in these areas then a criminal case is registered.
The penalties are tightened as follows:
- Forests: 12 years imprisonment and/or €100,000 fine (from 10 years and/or €50.*]Forests: 10 years imprisonment and/or €75,000 fine (from five years and/or €20,000 that existed in the existing legislation)
- Municipalities/communes: eight years imprisonment and/or €50,000 fine (from three months and/or €860 that existed in the existing legislation)
- Rural: 10 years imprisonment and/or €75,000 fine (from five years and/or €20,000 that existed in the existing legislation)
- Municipalities/communities: eight years imprisonment and/or €50,000 fine (from three months and/or €860 that existed in the existing legislation)."
Asked if new offences were being added, the Minister gave the example of people using agricultural tools or machinery which may cause a spark. She explained that out-of-court settlements are being introduced in all legislations, both in the countryside, and in municipalities and communities, and it is precisely on the basis of these offences.
In response to another reporter's question about the amount of out-of-court settlements, Dr Panagiotou replied that the lowest out-of-court settlement is set at €500 and the maximum at €3,000, provided that it relates to offences that do not cause damage. For the rest, a criminal case will be filed in the Court, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment clarified.
(EFYs/EAθ/MΣ)
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