The arogi.gov.gr platform for the submission of first aid applications for those affected by the August 2023 fires is being expanded, for:

  • businesses and non-profit organizations that were affected by the fires of July 2023 and wish to receive first aid in exchange for a grant, following the issuance of a relevant joint decision by the Ministers of Finance, Rural Development and Food, Digital Governance and Climate Crisis and Civil Protection (Government Gazette B΄ 5279 /31.08.2023),
  • for property owners who were affected by the fires of July 2023 and wish to receive first aid in return for housing assistance, following the issuance of a relevant joint decision by the Ministers of Finance, Digital Governance and Climate Crisis and Civil Protection (Government Gazette B΄ 5278/31.08.2023 ).

For the payment of the first aid aid, the beneficiary submits an application through the electronic platform arogi.gov.gr which operates with the contribution of the Independent Public Revenue Authority. The platform will remain open for submission of applications until September 25, 2023.

The goal, as the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection points out in its announcement, is for those affected who are entitled to first aid to submit an application and immediately receive the support they are entitled to as quickly as possible – after completing the necessary crossings.

Beneficiaries are affected people located in areas of the Regional Units of Evros, Rodopi, Kavala of the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Evia and Boeotia of the Region of Central Greece and West Attica of the Region of Attica, which have been affected by the fires and have been declared in a state of political emergency protection.

• First Aid vs Grant

The amount of first aid aid against a grant amounts to 2,000 euros for serious material damage and 4,000 euros for very serious material damage to assets (equipment, stocks, etc.).

Beneficiaries are businesses and non-profit organizations – with the exception of agricultural holdings, i.e. those with exclusively agricultural activity – but including livestock holdings, which have been affected and are located in the above areas.

It is clarified that in order to grant the aid, the application data will be cross-checked with the data submitted to the relevant region for damage assessment and recording by the state aid committees.

Also, the amount of the first aid received by each business is offset against the amount of the final grant, as it will be determined by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, after the damage has been registered by the state aid committees of the Region.

The first aid will be followed by an advance payment of 20% of the estimated damage and, of course, the final amount of the grant to cover part of the damage to the affected businesses. In this context, the cooperation of the services of the General Secretariat of Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection with the state aid committees of the Regions, as well as their competent services, has already begun, so that the procedures can run at high speeds.

• First aid against housing assistance

The amount of first aid assistance against housing assistance amounts to 10,000 euros, for building facilities that have suffered severe damage that makes them dangerous for use or dangerously collapsed or completely damaged, or to 5,000 euros, for building facilities that have suffered serious damage that makes them render them temporarily unfit for use.

Beneficiaries are owners, by full or partial ownership, of professional building facilities, residences and other non-professional buildings, which suffered damage from the fires that occurred in the above areas, for the properties for which they are also going to submit applications for housing assistance.

The property must have been inspected by the competent authorities of the General Secretariat for Rehabilitation of Natural Disasters and State Aid and judged to be:

unsafe for use (“RED”) according to the re-inspection sheet or dangerous ready according to a Building Dangerous Ready Autopsy Protocol or totally damaged according to a Totally Damaged Building Postmortem Report or

temporarily unfit for use (“YELLOW”) according to the re-inspection sheet or Autopsy Report.

During the application, the properties located in the areas affected by the fires in the above areas are pre-filled, from the current property situation, as it has been formed by the last statement E9 and in accordance with the specific provisions of the KYA. When submitting the application, the corresponding report or Report or Protocol of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection must be attached.

It is clarified that for the granting of first aid for housing, the details of the applications will be preceded by cross-checking with the details of the re-inspection reports and the autopsy reports of the competent services of the General Secretariat for the Rehabilitation of Natural Disasters and State Aid for the characterization of the buildings.

Also, the amount of the first aid received by each owner is offset against the amount of the final housing assistance, as this will be determined by the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection with a relevant decision delimiting and granting housing assistance.

Upon completion of the autopsies by the services of the General Secretariat for Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid, the affected areas will be demarcated and housing assistance will be granted for the repair/reconstruction of the buildings, which will consist of free state aid (80%) and interest loan (20%) with the guarantee of the Greek State. In this context, from the first moment, the recording of the damages has been started by the competent services.

It is pointed out that, both for the first aid against housing assistance, and for the first aid against a grant, in the event that the recipient of the aid submits a false declaration or does not submit a relevant file to the competent services or is not finally deemed a beneficiary or the amount to which he is entitled is smaller, the return of the total amount or the excess amount to the Greek State is foreseen.