In the agenda of the planned review of Constitution yesterday (22.5.25) the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis settlements and construction.
Specifically, Mr. Mitsotakis stated that “another article that we must now review without discussion is Article 24” of the Constitution, which concerns “environmental protection”.
The prime minister noted that “Article 24 is complicated. To dwell on an issue that I think is very interesting for our fellow citizens (…) First of all, I would like to remind you that this government has perhaps the largest” silent “reform that has been made on the last century. And this is none other than the gradual preparation of the Special Planning Plans at the municipal level.
That is to say, each municipality must organize its space in its own way, because the Council of State comes and tells us that there should not be many horizontal rules in general, because others are the particularities of Lesvos and others the particularities of an urban municipality. This is something that is right in principle and we are moving in this direction. “
He added that “when we think (…) the structured environment and environmental protection, we must take into account other parameters. For example, there was a great debate and there is a great discussion on the boundaries of the settlements. And this is a crucial issue, because for information I remind the listeners that the boundaries of settlements have been engraved by prefectures since 1985. “
“Because a class has to get into this issue, we must balance. On the one hand, the Constitution tells us that if you want to expand a settlement you have to do planning, nice, I hear it. On the other hand, however, the Constitution itself guarantees the justified confidence of the citizen: “I bought a plot, I knew I could build. You can’t come back to me to change it. ” The Constitution itself guarantees the protection of ownership. The Constitution itself talks about the support of decentralization, it talks about the demographic problems we face.
So, I want to be clear. I have given the Ministry of the Environment to come with alternative arrangements, which will address this issue through a comprehensive perspective, which will also take into account these parameters, ”Mr Mitsotakis noted.
The prime minister noted that “otherwise I am facing a settlement of 2,000 inhabitants, otherwise a village of 300 inhabitants. That is, in a village of 300 inhabitants, some settlement boundaries have been engraved, but does one really think that he will go to a village in a village of 300 inhabitants? “
He stressed that “there we will have an open discussion with the court, but I want to be very clear: we will also consider these parameters.
“I have a complete feeling that if we want to encourage citizens right now – we often say – to return to the villages, but we cannot do it even more difficult at the moment. We will take all this.
You will wait a few weeks, the issue is very complex. In this regard, however, the government complied with the CoE’s decision on the new building regulation, although it came 12 years later. It complies with the correct approach of the court on off -plan issues.
If you want to build out of the way, you have to have a face on the road and one of the very important reforms we will make, starting with the islands, is an automatic road process. Because at the moment every road, in order to be able to be classified as a communal decree, is needed. Which means that real roads that exist are typically not recognized. We have to solve this.
Well, however, in the question of settlements we cannot at the same time say “we cannot build in height”, “we cannot build out of the plan”, “we cannot easily expand the settlements.” I will say “OPA,” Mr Mitsotakis said.
“Well, let’s look at the overall parameter and look to find a solution that will take into account very justified complaints of citizens, which I hear with great care,” he said.