Crete mayor freezes fines for illegal buildings

The Municipality of Iraklio on Crete has of its own accord put a freeze on the imposition of fines for illegal structures in the city.

Iraklio Mayor Alexis Kalokairinos said the aim of the decision is to pressure the Environment Ministry to once again allow the legalization of buildings without a permit or with major urban planning illegalities (Category 5). “Our goal is for the owners of Category 5 arbitrary buildings, where the construction and maintenance fines are exorbitant (up to €1 million), to be able to join a settlement arrangement,” he said in a press release.

The ministry has categorically ruled out including such a regulation in the long-awaited multi-law bill, stating that the issue is being examined more broadly. Environment Minister Thodoris Skylakakis told Kathimerini, “We envisage a process through which all new arbitrary buildings will be demolished immediately, because we want people to stop building illegally.”