The state aid measures launched, in a framework of cooperation between the Ministries of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, National Economy and Finance, Interior, Labor and Social Security and Rural Development and Food, as well as the Independent Public Revenue Authority, for the affected areas from her bad weather “BORA” announced the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection. As it states, in a relevant announcement, the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, in a framework of cooperation with all the ministries involved, and following relevant recommendations of the Government Committee on State Aid, has activated the framework of state aid to support areas of Rhodes, Limnos, Pieria and Halkidiki which were mainly and significantly affected by the bad weather “Bora”, which manifested itself from 30 November 2024 to 2 December 2024, part of which also applies to other areas affected by extreme flooding during the same period.

In particular, the state aid measures are the following:

1. First aid against housing assistance

The arogi.gov.gr platform for the affected areas will be activated in the next few days, so that affected citizens and affected businesses can apply for first aid against housing assistance for the affected buildings, which will be paid after the necessary crossings and checks. The amount of first aid assistance amounts to 10,000 euros for the (“red”) buildings and 5,000 euros for the (“yellow”) buildings, as they are characterized by the competent services of the general secretariat of Natural Disaster Recovery and State Help.

2. Provision of housing assistance to natural and legal persons for the restoration of buildings

With the completion of the autopsies by the services of the general secretariat of 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. The housing assistance consists of free state aid, which is granted to the owners of the affected buildings and up to the maximum limit of 150 sq.m. from the total sum of the areas of their properties, in order to restore them (repair or reconstruction, depending on the damage they present).

3. Rent or cohabitation subsidy

Following the demarcation of the affected areas, a rent or cohabitation subsidy is provided to cover temporary housing costs for permanent residents, whose homes were affected by the floods, with the amount of the subsidy, depending on the parameters, being up to 500 euros.

4. First aid against state aid to affected businesses and livestock units

Through the arogi.gov.gr platform, which will be activated in the next few days for the affected areas, first aid is granted – after cross-checks and checks – against a grant, to deal with damages, to affected businesses and livestock units, depending on the level of damage. The amount of first aid aid amounts to 2,000 euros for a medium range of damage and 4,000 euros for a large range of damage to their assets.

5. Advance against state aid to affected businesses

An advance is granted against the total grant to affected businesses and non-profit organizations, following the granting of first aid, following the prescribed procedures so that part of the aid is paid in a short period of time after the natural disaster. The advance payment is granted following the registration and damage assessment carried out by the state aid committees of the relevant Regions, gradually, depending on the course of completing the work of the committees.

6. State aid to affected businesses

After the payment of the first aid and the advance payment, the grant of the final amount of the grant will proceed to the affected businesses, with the grant covering part of the estimated damage to the assets of the business (mechanical equipment, raw materials, goods and damaged vehicles) , as it results from the work of the state aid committees of the relevant Regions. The final grant is offset against the granted first aid and advance payment.

7. State aid to affected agricultural holdings

Agricultural holdings are included in the framework of state aid – grant of advance payment and final grant, respectively with businesses -, in terms of damage to equipment (mechanical equipment, machines, land capital, raw materials, stored, etc.), at the request of the minister of Rural Development and Food and recommendation of the Government Committee for State Aid, with the scheme being implemented by the committees state aid of the concerned Regions with the participation of ELGA. The grant also covers the damages that would be covered by the Regulation of State Financial Aid (KOE). Damages to livestock as well as plant production are not included in this framework, as they are covered by ELGA.

8. Compensations for the first needs of households and for household goods

The households affected by the floods will be paid, in cooperation with the Municipalities, financial aid amounts, depending on the damage recorded. Specifically, it is planned to pay compensation to the affected households, as follows: (a) financial aid, in the amount of 600 euros, to each household whose main residence has been affected, to cover their basic needs, increased accordingly for large families and persons with disabilities, (b) financial support of up to 6,000 euros per household, for the repair or replacement of household appliances of the main affected residence, while the said aid is limited to 50% in cases of secondary residence, and (c) financial aid of 4,500 euros to persons who suffered disability (67%) from injury in the natural disaster.

9. Suspension of payment of tax obligations

In the affected areas of Rhodes, Limnos, Pieria and Halkidiki, a suspension of the payment of pending and confirmed tax liabilities may be granted, for six (6) months, both for businesses that are certified as affected with a relevant certificate from the relevant Region and are included in the framework of state aid to affected businesses, as well as for natural persons who are certified to have suffered damage to their homes, in the context of their inclusion in the scheme of providing housing assistance and compensation for household goods.

10. Regulation and suspension of insurance contributions

The possibility is provided to join a process of regulation and suspension of insurance contributions, for six (6) months, targeted – by the floods – businesses in the regions of Rhodes, Lemnos, Pieria and Halkidiki, which are certified as affected with a relevant certificate from the Region and are part of the state aid to affected businesses.

11. Suspension of enforcement actions

It is possible to grant a suspension of execution of any act of forced execution on the movable or immovable property of the affected areas of Rhodes, Lemnos, Pieria and Halkidiki, from the “Bora” floods. The suspension concerns businesses that are certified as affected by a relevant certificate from the relevant Region and are part of the state aid to affected businesses, as well as natural persons who are certified to have suffered damage to their homes, as part of their inclusion in the scheme of providing housing allowance and compensation for household goods.

12. Three-year exemption from ENFIA

The buildings after the plot corresponding to them, which are located in areas declared in a state of emergency due to the intense bad weather “Bora” and have been characterized as dangerous or temporarily unsuitable for use, may be exempted from the ENFIA for a period of three years, with the provided that at that time the ownership or real right to the property belongs to the taxpayer of that year.

13. Emergency funding to local governments

In a context of cooperation with local government organizations, their emergency funding is proceeding – where the need arises, following relevant requests from the relevant bodies and following a recommendation from the Government Committee for State Aid – to cover damage to networks and infrastructures and the management of emergency needs .

Furthermore, as emphasized in the announcement, from the first moment, the local government organizations were informed about the required actions and procedures that accompany the activation of state aid measures, in the context of visits that took place in the first days after the occurrence of the phenomena in the affected areas, from levels of government, under the coordination of the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, responsible for recovery from natural disasters and state aid, Christos Triandopoulos.

At the same time, the levels of the general directorate for the restoration of the effects of natural disasters (GDAEFK) – under the guidance of the general secretariat for the restoration of natural disasters and state aid – were activated to carry out checks and autopsies in the field of the affected areas, with the work of the first basic phase of the autopsies and records of GDAEFK to be completed. Now, during the second phase, the levels of the GDAEFK are in collaboration with the municipalities for the routing of autopsies following the sending of data by the municipalities to the GDAEFK, but also after consultation with the owners.

Finally, it is underlined that the aid in the context of the state aid is tax-free, non-confiscatable, non-assignable, not subject to any fee or levy, not tied or set off against confirmed debts to the State, insurance funds or credit institutions. The above applies accordingly to the amounts paid by insurance companies for damages from natural disasters.