Owner response to the obligation to clear and declare their plots remains low, five days before the relevant deadline expires on June 15. According to *Kathimerini*, around 300,000–350,000 clearings had been declared on the akatharista.gov.gr platform, out of a total of 1.2–1.3 million liable properties — in other words, only about one in four.
The platform has been operating since early April, giving citizens more than two months to complete the work and submit the relevant declaration. Nevertheless, the number of declarations is considered unsatisfactory by Civil Protection, while owners are requesting an extension of around two weeks, citing high costs, insufficient information and delays caused by weather conditions in recent days.
Last year, declarations had reached around 500,000, while in 2024 they had exceeded 800,000.
Deputy Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas has made clear that the deadline remains June 15, stressing that work must be accelerated in order to remove combustible material and reduce the risk of wildfires.
Fines for those who fail to comply remain significant: failure to clear a plot carries a charge of €1 per square metre, with a minimum fine of €200 and a maximum of €2,000. Failure to submit a declaration carries a fine of €100 if the clearing has been completed and €500 if it has not, while submitting a false declaration carries a financial penalty of €5,000 and a prison sentence of at least six months. Last year, declarations had approached 500,000, while in 2024 they had exceeded 800,000.
Source: Kathimerini
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