Cabinet approves new fire prevention laws

The Cypriot Cabinet approved six revised bills on Monday aimed at strengthening fire prevention measures. These bills, covering forests, rural areas, communities, municipalities, extrajudicial settlements, and the penal code, have been updated and modernized, according to Agriculture Minister Maria Panagiotou.

Following the Cabinet meeting, Panagiotou stated that the new legislation introduces several key changes. The legal framework has been overhauled, adding new offenses and categorizing them into risk offenses, consequential offenses, and unintentional offenses due to reckless or negligent actions. Penalties have been standardized across various laws to ensure consistent treatment of similar offenses.

The 2018 Forest Law served as the foundation for these updates, aligning with provisions in the penal code. A notable addition to the Forest Law requires individuals responsible for starting fires to cover all or part of the firefighting costs, in addition to court-imposed penalties.

Panagiotou highlighted that the revisions now allow for extrajudicial settlements beyond the Forest Law, which was previously the only law with this provision. Extrajudicial settlements will apply to offenses based on the timing of the incidents. However, these settlements will not be available for damages caused to forests, forest lands, or immovable property, which will still be subject to criminal prosecution.

Penalties have been increased as follows: forest-related offenses now carry up to 12 years of imprisonment or fines up to €100,000, up from the previous 10 years or €50,000. Offenses in rural areas are now punishable by up to 10 years in prison or fines up to €75,000, an increase from the previous 5 years or €20,000. In municipalities and communities, the penalties are now up to 8 years in prison or fines up to €50,000, compared to the prior 3 months or €860.

The minimum fine for extrajudicial settlements is set at €500, while the maximum is €3,000.

[Information sourced from CNA]