State aid measures to support fire victims in Attica

At a meeting to discuss the situation on the fire front, and attended by a government delegation at the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will preside this afternoon.

The meeting will take place at 6:00 p.m.

Framework of State Aid Measures to Support Fire-Affected Areas in Attica

The framework for state aid to support areas of Attica affected by the fire on August 11, part of which also applies to other areas affected by wildfires in the summer of 2024, is being implemented by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, in cooperation with all relevant ministries.

At the same time, from the very beginning, officials from the General Secretariat for Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection have been on the ground in the affected to conduct on-site inspections and assessments, while the relevant documents are being sent immediately to local government agencies to inform them of the required actions and procedures.

The government aid measures being implemented, in collaboration with the Ministries of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, National Economy and Finance, Interior, Labor and Social Security, Social Cohesion and Family, and Rural Development and Food, as well as the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, for the affected areas, are as follows:

1. Initial assistance for housing assistance

The arogi.gov.gr platform for Attica will go live in the coming days, so that citizens affected by the fires and affected businesses can apply for initial assistance in the form of housing aid for fire-damaged buildings, which will be paid out following the necessary cross-checks and verifications. Eligible recipients of this aid are owners—whether holding full or limited title—of buildings damaged by the fires, which have been classified by the competent services of the General Secretariat for Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection as unsafe for use («red») or as temporarily unfit for use («yellow»), with the amount of the initial aid set at 10,000 euros and 5,000 euros, respectively.

2. Provision of housing assistance to individuals and legal entities for the restoration of buildings

Once the on-site inspections by the General Secretariat for Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid are completed, the affected areas will be designated, and housing assistance will be provided for the repair or reconstruction of buildings. The housing assistance, which consists of a grant (80%) and an interest-free loan (20%) guaranteed by the Greek government, is granted to the owners of the affected buildings up to a maximum of 150 square meters of the total combined floor area of their properties, for the purpose of restoring them (repair or reconstruction, depending on the damage sustained).

3. Rent or Roommate Subsidy

Following the designation of the affected areas, a rent or shared-housing subsidy is provided to cover the temporary housing costs of permanent residents, whose homes were damaged by the fires, with the subsidy amount ranging from 300 to 500 euros, depending on the circumstances. In a few days, once the relevant platform goes live, those interested will be able to apply for temporary housing with a rent or shared housing subsidy either through gov.gr by selecting the “Citizen and Daily Life” category and then the “Natural Disasters” subcategory, or directly at arogi.services.gov.gr.

4. Initial Assistance Versus Government Assistance for Affected Businesses

Through the arogi.gov.gr platform, which will go live in the coming days for Attica, initial relief funds will be provided to affected businesses and nonprofit organizations to address damages, depending on the extent of the damage. The amount of the initial relief aid is 2,000 euros for moderate damage and 4,000 euros for extensive damage to their assets. The initial relief aid is paid after cross-checking the information provided by applicants for initial relief with the applications submitted by affected businesses to the Regional Authority for the recording and assessment of damages by the state relief committees.

5. Advance Payment of Government Aid to Affected Businesses

An advance payment is granted against the total grant to affected businesses and nonprofit organizations, following the disbursement of the initial aid, in accordance with the established procedures so that part of the aid is paid out shortly after the natural disaster. The advance payment is granted following the recording and assessment of damages carried out by the regional state aid committees, in stages, depending on the progress of the committees’ work.

6. Government Assistance for Affected Businesses

Following the payment of the initial aid and the advance, the final grant amount will be disbursed to the affected businesses, with the grant covering a portion of the estimated damage to the business’s assets, as determined by the state aid committees. Specifically, the grant covers damage to the business’s mechanical equipment, raw materials, merchandise, and destroyed vehicles. The final grant is offset against the initial aid and advance payment already provided. Within a framework of cooperation and coordination that began immediately with the regions—which establish the state aid committees— the process of assessing damage to businesses is being advanced so that—once the assessment process is complete—the final grant amount can be awarded, taking all relevant data into account.

7. Government Financial Assistance for Farms

With regard to agricultural holdings, the Regulation on State Financial Aid (KOE) of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food is in effect; it is implemented by ELGA through its representatives in each municipality of the affected regions and covers, among other things, agricultural inputs and equipment on farms; meanwhile, in areas not covered by the State Financial Aid Regulation, the state aid framework has been activated in cooperation with the Region.

8. Compensation for basic household needs and household goods

Financial assistance will be provided to households affected by the fire, in cooperation with the municipalities, based on an assessment of the damage. Specifically, compensation will be paid to affected households as follows: (a) Financial assistance in the amount of 600 euros to each household whose primary residence has been damaged, to cover their basic needs, increased proportionally for large families and individuals with disabilities, (b) Financial assistance of up to 6,000 euros per household for the repair or replacement of household goods in the primary affected residence, while this assistance is limited to 50% for secondary residences, and (c) financial assistance of 4,500 euros to individuals who sustained a disability (67%) as a result of an injury sustained during the natural disaster. To disburse the aid, municipalities will take into account the findings from on-site inspections conducted by teams from the General Directorate for the Mitigation of Natural Disaster Impacts (GDAEFK) that are conducted in the area.

9. Deferral of Tax Payments

In areas declared to be in a state of emergency due to wildfires, a suspension of payment of outstanding and assessed tax liabilities will be granted, for six months, for both businesses and individuals who have been affected. Specifically, the deferral applies specifically to businesses certified as affected by a relevant certificate from the Regional Authority and included in the framework of state aid for affected businesses. Similarly, the suspension applies to individuals who are certified to have suffered damage to their residences, as part of their inclusion in the program providing housing assistance and household goods compensation.

10. Relief Measures for the Guaranteed Minimum Income and the Housing Allowance

The validity of the approval decisions for the Minimum Guaranteed Income (MGI) and the housing allowance for beneficiaries residing in the affected areas of Attica is extended: a) for three months in cases where a new application is required to be submitted in August 2024, and b) for two months in cases where a new application is required to be submitted in September 2024. The extension is granted provided that (a) no new application for the continuation of the Minimum Guaranteed Income was submitted in August, and (b) the beneficiaries, according to the approval decisions, reside within the affected areas of Attica.

11. Suspension of Enforcement Proceedings

A six-month suspension may be granted on any enforcement action against the movable or immovable property of those affected by the fire. The suspension specifically applies to businesses that have been affected and to individuals whose homes have sustained damage. Specifically, for individuals, legal entities, and other legal entities eligible for this measure, the following is suspended for six months: any enforcement proceedings against their movable or immovable property, with the exception of claims for alimony. The suspension applies, in particular, to auctions, seizures, evictions, and personal detentions. During this six-month period, the deadlines for filing legal remedies and appeals related to pending enforcement proceedings are suspended. The suspension applies to businesses certified as affected by a relevant certificate from the Regional Authority and included in the state aid program for affected businesses, as well as individuals who are certified to have suffered damage to their residences, as part of their inclusion in the housing assistance and household goods compensation program.

12. Three-year exemption from the ENFIA property tax

Buildings and the corresponding plots of land, located in areas declared to be in a state of emergency due to wildfires and designated as hazardous or temporarily unfit for use, may be exempt from the ENFIA property tax for a period of three years, provided that during this time, ownership or a real right in the property belongs to the taxpayer liable for this year’s tax.

13. Adjustment and Suspension of Social Security Contributions

Following the designation of the affected areas, businesses located within the designated areas that have been affected by the fires are eligible to participate in a program for the settlement and suspension of social security contributions. The six-month suspension of social security obligations, accompanied by a corresponding payment adjustment process, is specifically intended for businesses affected by the natural disaster, which are certified as affected by a relevant certificate from the Regional Authority and are included in the framework of state aid for affected businesses.

14. Suspension of employment contracts with a corresponding allowance

A special employment support program is being established for businesses in Attica that have been affected by the fires, allowing for the suspension of employment contracts and the provision of a corresponding allowance to employees of the affected businesses for one quarter. Like the other measures, this measure is specifically targeted at businesses that are certified as affected and are eligible for state aid to affected businesses.

15. Emergency Funding for Local Governments

As part of a collaborative effort with local government agencies, emergency funding will be provided to them—where deemed necessary—to cover damage to networks and infrastructure.

Finally, it is emphasized that aid provided under the state assistance program is tax-exempt, unseizable, and non-assignable, are not subject to any fees or levies, and are neither frozen nor offset against confirmed debts owed to the State, social security funds, or credit institutions. The foregoing applies mutatis mutandis to amounts paid by insurance companies for damages resulting from natural disasters.