On Tuesday, the draft law of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection entitled “Private insurance against natural disasters, government aid and protection, housing assistance”which had been presented to the Cabinet in early 2024.

The draft law, which includes a total of 46 provisions, establishes, first of all, the establishment of an Observatory of Private Insurance against Natural Disasters with the main objective of creating a National Strategy for private insurance against natural disasters, in order to create the conditions that will allow state aid to proceed harmoniously and complementary to private insurance in the framework of the new data created by the climate crisis. In this direction, it is included in draft law provision for the compulsory insurance of businesses with annual gross revenues of more than 2,000,000 euros against natural disasters and especially against fire from natural causes, flood and earthquake.

In parallel, with the provisions on private insurance, the draft law includes a number of provisions that amend and enrich Law 4797/2021, concerning the state aid framework, following on from the targeted interventions that have been put in place so far. These are, in particular, state aid provisions concerning the subsidy of farmers by profession, the delimitation of agricultural holdings and other regulations regarding the latter, so that the conditions for the subsidy are clear in the context of the application of Law 4797/2021, to ensure the avoid double funding, broaden the scope in a targeted manner and make the grant process easier.

Also included are provisions concerning housing assistance, but also the demolition process of buildings at risk of collapsing after a natural disaster. In particular, among other things, a provision is introduced regarding the provision of special housing assistance, i.e. enabling the beneficiaries of house reconstruction to receive – after commissioning the construction and/or installation by the competent agency – a conventional or prefabricated house of specific specifications with the aim of the fastest in relation to the their traditional housing process. Furthermore, another provision allows owners of temporarily unsuitable buildings within a landslide or threatened area to to wake up from standbys where they are to repair their buildings until now. Finally, a regulation is introduced for the installation under specific conditions of sports facility canopies to deal with the emergency needs of temporary accommodation for those affected.

The draft law also includes a provision introducing the possibility of appointment Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Coordinator, who will be tasked with the task of monitoring the projects and actions of the rehabilitation, reconstruction and development plan of a specific or specific areas after the strong blow of a natural disaster and the promotion of a government plan for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the area.

Finally, the draft law includes a series of important and key interventions in the structure of the services of the organic units of the General Secretariat for Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid and other organizational and generally administrative provisions aimed at the smooth operation of the services of the General Secretariat for Natural Disaster Recovery of Disasters and State Aid, in the acceleration of all recovery and support processes for those affected by natural disasters, taking into account the new data that the climate crisis has shaped.